November Governing Body meet is the deadline for Fiji to implement JIR – CAS Ruling

Fiji has now until November to meet the  requirements outlined in the tripartite agreement Fiji  had inked in March 2015.

And to top it further the Government has been requested to accept a Direct Contacts Mission to Fiji prior to the next (2020) ILC.

Read here the text of the Ruling made in Geneva:

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) 

The Committee took note of the information provided by the Government representative and the discussion that followed. The Committee observed serious allegations concerning the violation of basic civil liberties, including arrests, detentions and assaults and restrictions of freedom of association. The Committee noted with regret the Government`s failure to complete the process under the Joint Implementation Report.

Taking into account the discussion, the Committee called upon the Government to:

■ refrain from interfering in the designation of the representatives of the social partners on tripartite bodies;

■ reconvene the Employment Relations Advisory Board (ERAB) without delay in order to start a legislative reform process;

■ complete without further delay the full legislative reform process as agreed under the JIR, the Joint Implementation Report;

■ refrain from anti-union practices, including arrests, detentions, violence, intimidation and harassment and interference;

■ ensure that workers’ and employers’ organizations are able to exercise their rights to freedom of association, freedom of assembly and speech without undue interference by the public authorities; and

■ ensure that normal judicial procedures and due process are guaranteed to workers’ and employers’ organizations and their members.

The Committee requests that the Government report on progress made towards the implementation of the Joint Implementation Report in consultation with the social partners by November 2019.

The Committee called on the Government to accept a direct contacts mission to assess progress made before the 109th Session of the International Labour Conference.

(Posted on 21 June, 2019 by Executive Officer FTUC)