Fijileaks
  • Home
  • Archive Home
  • In-depth Analysis
    • BOI Report into George Speight and others beatings
  • Documents
  • Opinion
  • CRC Submissions
  • Features
  • Archive

The FTUC welcomes ILO Governing Body Decision in Geneva on Fiji 

12/11/2015

3 Comments

 
Picture
The FTUC welcomes the decision of the ILO Governing Body on Fiji at its meeting in Geneva on Wednesday 11th November 2015. The Governing Body once again deliberated on the Fiji situation and the lack of progress in complying with the Tripartite Agreement of March 2015 between Government, FTUC and FCEF. The joint Agreement has six action points that parties needed to comply with. They were:
  1. That all labour management relations would be governed by the ERP.
  2. That all amendments would comply with the ILO Core Labour Standards.
  3.  That the review of the ERP conducted by the Tripartite Partners in 2013 would be acted upon.
  4. That Government would reinstate Check-off (Union Dues deduction)
  5. That all the above would be done within a certain timeframe i.e. Legislative amendments to Parliament by end of August 2015 and implementation by end of October 2015
  6. That the Parties to the Agreement would submit a joint report to the June 2015 session of the GB.
The Government failed to comply with the above provisions and unilaterally decided upon some amendments to the ERP. As such no joint report could be made to the Governing body in June 2015. No meetings were convened despite many requests from FTUC and FCEF. On the eve of this Governing Body meeting, Government convened a reconstituted ERAB meeting which FTUC refused to attend. The agenda was to rubber stamp a report that Government prepared to the Governing Body. The Government and others however met and decided on a monthly meeting to address the violations. Based on this decision, Government attempted through the Asia Pacific Government Grouping (ASPAG) at the ILO to defer the report of any Tripartite Delegation to Fiji to June 2016 and a decision on the Commission of Inquiry by November 2016.

This resolution was put to the Governing Body by the Australian Government and was defeated. Employers, EU and many other Governments supported the Resolution that was originally tabled. This resolution reiterates its regret to the continuing failure to submit a joint report from Government, FTUC and FCEF. It is noteworthy that the decision recognises the parties to the joint report that the ILO is seeking. Government is not at liberty to call in whoever it wants to sign on to a joint report. In this respect, the FTUC calls upon Government to disband its new ERAB and re-constitute the original ERAB to meet without delay. FTUC will not be a party to Governments efforts to dilute representative rights to FTUC and FCEF. Such actions on part of Government only serve to undermine the parties to the Geneva Agreement and weaken the social partners.

The GB Decision also now calls on Government to accept a Tripartite Mission to Fiji to review the ongoing obstacles to a joint report and observance of the ILO Core Conventions. Having noted that in the past, there were considerable difficulties in gaining agreement of Government for ILO Missions, the GB also decided that should the Mission not be able to visit Fiji and submit a report by March 2016, then the March 2016 GB should decide on a Commission of Inquiry. The Governing Body has also decided that Fiji would be on the agenda of its March 2016 meeting.

The FTUC and the Workers Group at the ILO also considers the decision to also recognise the efforts of the Minister for Labour and to give him an opportunity to comply with the Agreement signed. We also welcome the efforts of the Minister for Labour and look forward to working with him and FCEF. We reiterate that work on this must begin without delay and not on the eve of the next GB meeting.

This decision gives Government another opportunity to act upon the Agreement without delay. This is an opportunity for Government to do the right thing for Fiji and her international reputation. Failure to act would have serious negative impact on the Country. It cannot simply sit back and play mischief with workers and blaming Unions and its leaders as holding the country to ransom or holding a gun to Governments head. It must take full responsibility for its failure to act. The Government would be shooting itself in the foot if it does not take up this opportunity.
 
Felix Anthony                                                                                                       
National Secretary


Picture
3 Comments
Chiku
12/11/2015 08:09:54 pm

Everyone genuinely concerned about workers rights, welfare and well-being - progressive politicians, church leaders, social workers, civil society, trade unionists - would welcome the ILO decision on Fiji.
The ILO has given voice to the workers of Fiji whose voice has mostly been ignored by the pro- business Bainimarama government.

Reply
Shannon
12/11/2015 10:49:43 pm

Dear Editor,

"Failure to act would have serious negative impact on the Country..."

has been used many a time with regards to Fiji and the way it does what it does. Nothing has really eventuated and the threats continue to blow away with the winds of time.

Felix has achieved nothing really. All he has done is run crying to a body which has been ignored in the past by the Fijian Government and will continue to be ignored in the future as history has shown.

Reply
Chiku
12/11/2015 11:24:21 pm

You make a very valid observation. During the period of the Bainimarama dictatorship it could ignore all the international bodies with impunity which it did.
But can it continue to do the same with the same impunity now that it purports to have returned to democracy?
The Fijian Government can't have it both ways, can it?
Conduct itself like a dictatorship and claim to be democratic ?

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    editor@fijileaks.com

    ARCHIVES

    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    Picture
    Picture