Fiji has been named as one of the worst three violators of workers’ rights conventions as reported during the ILO’s ILC held from June 5 – June 20 in Geneva.
Also at the top three were Belarus and Uzbekistan.
The Fiji conclusions of the ILC’s 102nd Session is through the following link:
The 102nd Session of the International Labour Conference 2013 was held in Geneva from June 5 – June 30. In the links below, submissions made on Fiji are attached in different parts on the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No. 87. The submissions were from different sectors in Fiji, the government, workers’ representatives, employers’ representatives, etc. Please click on the links for more details.
Conclusions on Fiji are as follows:
Fiji also failed to submit instruments as reported under No. 184:
There was also failure to engage in discussions with the Working Committee as noted in No. 221:
The following links attach extracts from the Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions focused on Fiji. The links contain three sets of documents with each titled appropriately…
The Submission to the competent authorities:
FPSA has again received news of more redundancies made by the Fiji Hardwood Corporation. The statement above by the FPSA General Secretary, Rajeshwar Singh highlights the disappointment and upcoming problems faced by the jobless ex-workers. Please click on the link above for more details.
http://fijilive.com/news/2013/06/fhcl-closes-mills-178-to-lose-jobs/54258.Fijilive
The following report from BBC News on the investigation focusing on Mr Patrick Mercer’s alleged lobbying on behalf of Fiji.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22727620
And below is the letter from the Liberal MP after union executives wrote to the four MPs involved in the scandal who has agreed to withdraw his name off the Early Day Motion.
The FTUC wishes everyone a Happy World Day Against Child Labour that is celebrated today worldwide. Millions of children worldwide are deprived of education and their basic freedom and rights as they engage themselves in labour to put food on their families’ tables. Fiji is not prone to this as highlighted recently in the media.
The FTUC under the ILO TACKLE Project will celebrate the day this Friday on June 14th with the FTU at Nadi’s Capricorn Hotel. Let us help put a stop to the plight of these young children and give them back their childhood as they so rightly deserve.
The Programme is as follows:
Program (1) : World Day Against Child Labor Seminar on “Child Labour as a Trade Union Issue”: Challenges and the Way Forward
Day: Friday
Date: June 14th, 2013.
Time: 9:30am to 2:30pm
Venue: Capricorn International Hotel, Nadi
Participants:
Affiliates, FTUC Youth Committee, FTUC Women’s Committee, School Heads and Teachers.
After the seminar, we will be joined by students and their parents on a legislative empowerment session as follows:
Program (2) : Seminar on Empowering Stakeholders on Child labor as an Issue in our Society :Roles and Responsibilities
Date: 14th June 2013
Time: 3:30pm-5pm
Day : Friday
Venue: Capricorn International Hotel, Nadi
Participants: Student and parents as beneficiaries, teachers and schools heads.
Statement from ILO Director – Guy Ryder