FIJI TRADES UNION CONGRESS
DATE: 21/07/11
PRESS RELEASE – RESPONSE TO FCEF STATEMENT
We, the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) are appalled by the statement issued by the Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) calling on FTUC to refrain from protecting the very existence of Trade Unions in Fiji.
We remind FCEF of the recent agreement between the Government, the FCEF AND FTUC on the Decent Work Country Programme wherein the parties agreed to the promotion and respect of the ILO Core Labour Conventions. Recent decrees namely the Administration of Justice Decrees 2009 and subsequent Amendment Decree and Decree Number 21 of 2011 blatantly violate the Core Conventions and attempt to decimate the Trade Unions in the Public Sector and Government owned entities. We cannot have two sets of laws, one for the Public Sector and another for the Private Sector. We expect that when agreements are entered into, they are fully respected.
The FCEF should remind Government of their obligations and ask that Government respect their side of the deal instead of lecturing FTUC. The impact of any action by Unions is a direct result of the breach and violations of workers’ fundamental rights which the FCEF recognizes.
We urge the FCEF not to attempt to play politics now and put the blame where it rightfully belongs.
FELIX ANTHONY
NATIONAL SECRETARY
DATE: 21/07/11
PRESS RELEASE – RESPONSE TO FCEF STATEMENT
We, the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) are appalled by the statement issued by the Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) calling on FTUC to refrain from protecting the very existence of Trade Unions in Fiji.
We remind FCEF of the recent agreement between the Government, the FCEF AND FTUC on the Decent Work Country Programme wherein the parties agreed to the promotion and respect of the ILO Core Labour Conventions. Recent decrees namely the Administration of Justice Decrees 2009 and subsequent Amendment Decree and Decree Number 21 of 2011 blatantly violate the Core Conventions and attempt to decimate the Trade Unions in the Public Sector and Government owned entities. We cannot have two sets of laws, one for the Public Sector and another for the Private Sector. We expect that when agreements are entered into, they are fully respected.
The FCEF should remind Government of their obligations and ask that Government respect their side of the deal instead of lecturing FTUC. The impact of any action by Unions is a direct result of the breach and violations of workers’ fundamental rights which the FCEF recognizes.
We urge the FCEF not to attempt to play politics now and put the blame where it rightfully belongs.
FELIX ANTHONY
NATIONAL SECRETARY
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