Show must go on

Minister Bala says Employment Relations Advisory Board (ERAB) meeting will continue with or without Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC).

The Employment Relations Advisory Board (ERAB) meeting will continue with or without the participation of the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC).

This was stated by the Minister

for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations, Parveen Bala, who highlighted that a stalemate on the appointment of the ERAB remained because of the boycott process by workers’ representatives. “This has been part of a continued show of defiance and no co-operation on the part of the workers representatives, that is, the trade union,” Mr Bala said. However, SODELPA Opposition member Mikaele Leawere told Mr Bala that it was not boycotting, but the union feeling that their views were not taken into consideration by the Government.

The two outstanding matters highlighted by Mr Bala was the review of the labour laws, which he said could not be processed because of the boycott by the unions.

The other concerns the review of the list of essential services and industries whereby the International Labour Organisation will facilitate the workshop for social partners. FTUC president Daniel Urai said Mr Bala should clarify before Parliament the reasons why the workers’ representatives were not present at the ERAB tripartite forum. “The difficulty was with Government. What we experienced was that the people they sent to the ERAB tripartite forum did not have a mandate to make a decision for Government,” Mr Urai said.

“So, it was difficult to continue a sensible discussion for the amendment on the labour laws .... It is very unfortunate.”