Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has today stressed that the threat or imposition of trade union sanctions by the Australian unions will not change the government’s stand to have elections in 2014.
Commodore Bainimarama said elections will not be held earlier than 2014 and he believed that the planned sanctions are part of the political agenda of some to try to push the government.
He said the Australian and NZ unions should know that workers rights are not being violated and the fact remained that only 30 percent of the working population in the country is unionized.
Commodore Bainimarama also questioned whether the local trade unionists like Felix Anthony, Daniel Urai and Rajeshwar Singh consulted with their members before asking for the sanctions.
We have contacted Australian Transport Workers Union’s Tony Sheldon to ask if they will impose the sanctions.
He has been in meetings all day.
It was first highlighted by some Australian and NZ media outlets that sanctions would be imposed as early as this week.
One of the TWU officials has told us that there is no date set on when the trade union sanctions will be imposed.
The official also said that nothing can be said at this stage as they also have to speak to their members.
We have sent questions to the union.
The NZ Council of Trade Unions has made it clear that it will not take any immediate action in relation to trade union sanctions.
The Union’s Peter Conway said they have spoken to Felix Anthony and others in NZ however the final decision on any action will be made by the NZ union members.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
Feature
Trade union sanctions will not change Govt stand on elections
