‘Do not drag issues’
The Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh has urged employers to resolve employee-related issues and avoid dragging negotiations.
This was in response to questions regarding the recent resolution reached by the National Union of Workers and FIJI Water on Thursday following a nine-day strike after three days of mediation.
The strike began on May 7 with 168 FIJI Water workers stationed outside the Naikabula yard in Lautoka and outside the Yaqara yard in Ra protesting the unresolved log of claims dating back to 2023.
Mr Singh said the ministry was pleased the two parties were able to come to an agreement.
“We had facilitated mediation initially and the former Magistrate Andrew See took over, the two parties were brought together, we respected the rights of the union to take strike action or to withdraw labour because they had gone through the due process. At the same time we urged the management to find the solution by coming to the table,” he said.
“It took a bit of time for FIJI Water because the local management stated they did not have the mandate to take decisions, so that is why the person in charge had to fly from the United States to Fiji and then the two days of negotiations took place and I’m sure, as stated that both parties are happy with the outcome. We urge employers and trade unions to come to the table and work together, rather than wait for things to blow out of proportion.” ” He said if the issue had been resolved early, staff members would not have spent nine working days engaged in the strike. “Mostly, it will be the employers who will find the ways and means to drag and delay negotiations, the unions actually only take strike ballot as the last resort when employers refuse to come to the table,” he said.