\\ Suva, Fiji – Wednesday, 30 October 2024
The Fiji-Australia Business Council’s mandate is focused on growing business and trade relations between Fiji and Australia, and their members are composed of business leaders and representatives from both countries. The decades-long work on building these bilateral relationships, strategic partnerships and investment ties has been arduous, and for FABC, when there is a lack of transparency and considerable consultations on serious matters such as changes to the Employment Relations Act (ERA), it dismantles the very principles on which the Council stands.
Echoing the serious concerns raised by the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) and the Fiji Hotel Tourism Association (FHTA) on the proposed amendments to the ERA, the FABC states that if they were to go ahead, these alarming changes will create a negative domino effect in the Fiji economy, threatening all the hard work that the private sector has been doubling on to recover and grow further.
FABC fully supports FCEF and FHTA on calling out the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations for not just the huge fines of up to $500,000 and imprisonment of up to 20 years that have been included in the draft bill to amend the ERA, but also mainly the lack of transparency on these proposed amendments, and the severe lack of consultations with business owners and leaders.
The tripartite consultations with employers and unions are a critical part of the process, and their absence should be flagged because collaboration amongst stakeholders is the key success factor of any change.
FABC’s Joint Business Forum this year highlighted how the voice of business is pivotal in driving investments and growth in Fiji. in this case, that voice needs to resonate and be heard. FABC calls on the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations for a more inclusive and consultative approach. FABC reiterates that everyone has the same goal, and that is to have safe and fair workplaces for employees as well as a conducive business environment that is fair for employers too.
