24 Oct 2011

Australian unions to urge members not to travel to Fiji

6:59 pm on 24 October 2011

The Australian Council of Trade Unions is planning to roll out a campaign against holidaying in Fiji in time for the Christmas vacations.

Council President Ged Kearney says the action is in support of Fiji workers who are subject to decrees described by the council as draconian.

Ms Kearney says the Council's tried talking directly to employers and the government with mixed results and she says unions in Fiji support going a stage further.

"We have two million members in Australia, many of whom do travel to Fiji but ultimately we are looking at an advertising campaign that will be used much more broadly to appeal to the general community but in the first instance certainly as a matter or urgency we'll be speaking with our own membership."

Ged Kearney says a regional action group will be set up in the next month to co-ordinate action in support of workers in Fiji.