Intended secret ballot rejected

The secret ballot intended to be conducted by the Fiji Public Service Association, Fiji Teachers Union, Fijian Teaches Association and Fiji Nursing Association from September 25 to October 6 has been rejected by the Registrar of Trade Unions.

This is under the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations as the ballot has failed to meet the requirements of the Employment Relations Amendment 2015.

In a letter sent on September 15, 2017, the Registrar advised the Unions that the notice had been rejected on the basis that no negotiations had been undertaken between the Government and the Unions as required under the amended Act.

Parties are required to exhaust negotiation mechanisms before any secret ballot for a strike can be undertaken and, in this instance there have been no negotiations at all.

The decision by the Registrar was also based on documents provided by the unions that showed that they declined to meet with Government to begin the negotiation process. Because the secret ballot cannot be supervised by the Registrar, any attempt by the Unions to conduct a secret ballot without the supervision of the Registrar shall be contrary to the Act, and any result of the secret ballot shall be invalid.

Any strike action or threat of strike action which takes place on the basis of this result shall be both unlawful and invalid.

Source: DEPTFO News

In a letter sent on September 15, 2017, the Registrar advised the Unions that the notice had been rejected on the basis that no negotiations had been undertaken between the Government and the Unions as required under the amended Act. Parties are required to exhaust negotiation mechanisms before any secret ballot for strike can be undertaken and, in this instance there have been no negotiations at all.