Tonga's Minister for Labour Dr Fred Sevele has confirmed that the draft Employment Relations Bill will be presented to Cabinet this month with the aim of enacting it later this year.
Pacnews reports Dr Sevele says since the strike by Tonga's civil servants late last year, Cabinet has recognised the need for Employment Relations legislation for the island kingdom.
The minister visited Fiji last year and had discussions with his Fijian counterpart on a new industrial relations bill.
He says Tonga is adopting the Fijian Bill, which is based on their long history of industrial relations disputes, trade unionism and on the New Zealand situation.
Dr Seveli says staff have been working on the Bill since last year, and it's now ready to be presented to Cabinet, Crown Law, then for wide consultation within government and all public institutions.
