What of Attar Singh’s second failed attempt at elections?
Attar Singh, who has been a long-time trade unionist, stood for elections under the National Federation Party banner twice now under the 2013 Constitution and lost both times.
After his loss in 2014, he went back to hold his trade union job. The same was expected this time around.
How can Mr Singh guarantee that his future negotiations with Government and employers will not be clouded by his national elections loss?
This is why there is a law that trade unionists need to resign from their posts before they contest the general elections.
The Fiji Labour Party’s stronghold used to be its union support. Felix Anthony, Daniel Urai, Agni Deo Singh all in its camp as either office bearers or candidates of the party. Mahendra Chaudhry, the FLP leader, continues to hold his National Farmers Union job as well.
Is it fair on their members that Attar Singh, wounded by a national election defeat, carries on to represent them?
Fiji has come a long way since 1987.
We need people who will work in the best interest of all Fijians, not only those who have been members of certain trade unions or individual provinces. We need trade unionists such as Attar Singh to make up their minds, once and for all - be a unionist or be a politician.
The ease with which Mr Anthony managed to get his union job back after a humiliating defeat in the 2014 General Election is ridiculous. How their union members put up with this is their own choice. We need a clear demarcation between unions and politics. When unionists negotiate with employers and governments, they need to do so without any political bias or without having the failure of a national election hanging over their heads.
How can the International Labour Organisation take these local unionists seriously when the unionists are tainted by their association with political parties, especially the ones who have lost in the general elections? How can the union members take anything Attar Singh say seriously?
Attar Singh has had a long career as a trade unionist. His focus should be to negotiate better terms for his members, not to be clouded by failures at national elections.