Workers welcome call for 60 years retirement

The Fiji Local Government Officers Association (FLGOA) has commended and welcomed the call by the Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro for school teachers who have turned 55 or will turn 55 this year to remain in employment until they are 60 years old.

This is in line with the 60-year retirement age as established by the coalition Government.

Association president Rouhit Karan Singh said they anticipated that a similar understanding or directive had been sent to municipal council administrators and chief executive officers by the Ministry of Local Government as the said condition also applied to statutory bodies including the council.

The collective agreement in existence between the council and union had provisions on Retirement Age which states that, “… the normal age of compulsory retirement from the council services will be sixty (60) years. This was also in the Principal Act- Local Government Act Cap 125 that upheld that the retirement age of officers in municipal council shall be 60 years ...”

On July 31, 2020, then Government amended the provisions through Local Government (Budget Amendment) 25 of 2020 passed by Parliament that all officers retire at the age of 55 years. A transition period of one year was considered for those who reached 55 years or were more than 55 years to retire from the council on August 1, 2021.

“This impacted the lives of ordinary workers such as street sweepers, garbage workers, labourers, and handymen who had little savings and FNPF to pull their livelihood through. Many became unstable and went into poverty. The council also lost 10-15 per cent technical and experienced employees,” Mr Singh said.

The FLGOA urges the Ministry of Local Government to consider giving directive to councils those vacant positions and those not filled because of exit of workers who left less than three months ago to reconsider re-employment.

“FLGOA will officially write to the Permanent Secretary and the Minister to restore the provisions of retirement age by repealing the Local Government (Budget Amendment) Act 25 of 2020 and restoring the previous provisions lawfully so that it can be envisaged in the terms of conditions of our Collective Agreement.

“The Union views that the good faith bargaining continues within the parties so that harmonious relationships are maintained and workers’ rights are upheld. Those matters sent by council for deliberations should be concluded at earliest and not left in abeyance,” he said.