The Lautoka Arbitration Tribunal, in an emergency hearing initiated by the National Union of Workers (NUW), has denied all four orders put forth by the union against the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF).
The Tribunal made it clear that when a contract has come to an end, the former employee is no longer authorized to enter the premises of the employer.
Water Authority says the union had led its members to believe that they had contracts for an indefinite duration. WAF opposed this view and has taken the position that workers can either be Temporary Workers or Permanent Workers but every worker’s contract must be for a specified term.
To clarify confusion the Tribunal instructed WAF to issue a circular to all former employees whose contracts have ended, clearly outlining the details of the situation and instructions on how to apply for the next round of projects. The Union must also circulate this information.
Bhavesh Kumar, WAF Board Chairman said, “As we have said from the beginning, you are more than welcome to apply for the next round of projects. We have provided all the information and our human resource teams are already processing applications.”
Mr. Kumar thanked the 650 plus workers who have already applied for the next round of projects.
The Tribunal has indicated that both sides must work together to resolve all other pending issues.
Both parties are before the Tribunal again on Wednesday 8 May 2019 in Suva.
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