Why we need fines of upto $500,000 and imprisonment of up to 20 years, even the FijiFirst regime did not impose this - Chaudhry

Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry says concerns raised by the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation and Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association on the proposed amendments to the Employment Relations Act should be taken seriously by the government.

Chaudhry says this is not the time to enact draconian laws in the FijiFirst government fashion.

He says fines of up to $500,000 and imprisonment of upto 20 years are just too harsh, specially for the medium to smaller businesses.

Chaudhry says even the FijiFirst regime did not impose such severe penalties.

He adds the powers vested in the Labour officers under the proposed amendments such as powers to close down a company’s operation, are draconian and can lead to abuse and corruption.

The FLP Leader says instilling business and investor confidence is crucial to economic growth and job creation, and this is not going to happen by imposing severe laws that penalise employers.

Chaudhry says the crux of the problem lay with the Ministry of Labour.

He says we already have laws to address worker exploitation however the Labour Ministry has not been enforcing these laws.

The former Prime Minister says while trade unions, quite rightly, want to see an end to the kind of worker exploitation suffered under the FijiFirst government, turning the tables on employers to get even is not going to help the workers.

He says it could be counter-productive.

Chaudhry is also critical of the secrecy with which the amendments were drafted.

He says instead of consulting widely and openly with the employers, the Labour Ministry came up with a non disclosure procedure.

Employers allowed to view the proposed amendments, had to sign an agreement to not disclose the contents.

Chaudhry asks what was the need for such secrecy as there should have been an open and consultative process to the drafting of such laws to take the employers on board.

He says suppressing unions and other people-based democratic organisations was the FijiFirst's political strategy to exercise absolute control.

He adds the Coalition Government promised a more inclusive approach to governance.