Arbitration for all Fiji workers under proposed changes

Transcript

All Fiji workers will have access to arbitration under a proposed amendment to the Employment Relations Promulgation.

Last year the Government said it would start a review of all of the country's labour laws as soon as possible, including the controversial Essential National Industries Decree.

The Employment Relations Advisory board has been involved in recent negotiations of the proposed amendments.

One of its members Harvey Probert told Bridget Tunnicliffe what has been at the forefront of discussions.

HARVEY PROBERT: So we've got to go back to Fiji was on report to the ILO (International Labour Organisation) for breaches of fundamental rights as contained in the core ILO conventions, that Fiji is a signatory to. Those are basically freedom of association, right to collective bargaining, and access to arbitration, particularly for the industries covered by the Essential National Industries Decree of 2012.

BRIDGET TUNNICLIFFE: Now this Bill proposes the setting up of an Arbitration Court - is that right?

HP: Correct, there is existing mechanisms for conciliation and arbitration available to all organisations not covered by the Essential National Industries Decree. What this does is it actually provides coverage for those industries and employees that were covered by the Essential National Industries Decree. So what this amendment bill does is it actually brings those rights within the ERP and one of the key things is the abolition of the Essential National Industries Decree so it's quite a big step. So it brings the essential national industries into the Employment Relations Promulgation and this Arbitration Court is specifically for industries caught under the Essential National Industries provisions.

BT: In terms of the remaining timeline - where to from here?

HP: So the amendment bill had its first reading in parliament last Friday and has been referred to a parliamentary selected committee. So it means that any person, organisation, association et cetera, now has the opportunity to make comment on that bill. And I think the Government's intention is for it to be taken back to parliament with any other amendments recommended by the select committee to take that back to parliament
in the July sitting of parliament.

BT: Do you think it's hoped that the ILO may back off if these changes come into force?

HP: Yeah I mean the discussion over the last few months has really been about addressing the concerns of the ILO, through either their committee of experts report or the report of the direct contacts mission which was here in October last year, addressing those concerns.