Questions over when Fiji union check-offs will be reinstated

Transcript

The Fiji Public Service Association says while it welcomes an agreement to reinstate union subscription deductions, it's still waiting to find out when it will come into effect.

Its general secretary, Rajeshwar Singh, says the government stopped union check-offs in 2011 without giving any reason or liaising with unions.

Following an agreement made at the International Labour Office in Geneva at the end of March, union subscription deductions will be reinstated - but Mr Singh says there's no indication of when that will be.

He spoke to Mary Baines.

RAJESHWAR SINGH: On 25th March an agreement was reached in ILO governing body in Geneva when they were reviewing Fiji's violation of trade union rights, and the new agreement was signed between the Fiji government, the Fiji Trade Union Congress and the Employers Federation. It's now clear that the government has given its undertaking which the Minister for Labour signed, that the Employment Relations Promulgation 207 will be the top labour law in Fiji. The future review of all labour laws will be conducted under the tripartite Employment Relations Advisory Board, all ILO conventions will be complied with, agreements from the Employment Relations Advisory Board will be presented as a bill in August 2015, the bill will be vetted by the Employment Relations Advisory Board first before it goes to Cabinet, the act of parliament will be implemented by October 2015, Fiji government will restore the union check-off facilities.

MARY BAINES: Why do you think they've reinstated this, is it ongoing pressure from the ILO, would you say?

RS: Yes, definitely it's the pressure the ILO because Fiji government was up for a commission of inquiry for the violation of trade union rights and not complying to the ILO for conventions. So that's a pressure and they have signed this agreement.

MB: What does this agreement mean for civil servants?

RS: The check-off facilities that we were getting before which was $6 a fortnight from each member will be restored. But in the meantime on 1st April the permanent secretary of finance sent a circular to each ministry and department telling them to forward the name of all members, trade union members, and which union do they belong to, and how much they should be deducted and all the details, and that detail should go to them by 10th April. But we were quite complexed with that kind of circular, because the thing was simple. When it was stopped, they should restart those deductions from the date it was stopped and whatever was deducted should continue.

MB: So why do you think that circular went around, what's the reason for it?

RS: I really don't know but it makes no sense to us. Unless they are trying to check, see how many members are there and how much each ministry, how many members have, all that. But to us it makes little sense. Because if the reductions were stopped as at that date, it should be just restarted, recommenced.

MB: So when will it recommence, do we know?

RS: No, they haven't given anything because definitely not by Friday 10th April. Because they say all permanent secretaries must provide this information to the Ministry of Finance no later that 4pm on Friday 10 April. So maybe after 10th April, a week after that, or something, government will do. The point is that they aren't talking to us yet. They have not started talking to us.