National Federation Party (NFP) leader Prof Biman Prasad said it was “ludicrous” to retire municipal council workers at 55.
He made the comment in Parliament on Friday while debating on the Local Government (Budget Amendment) Bill 2020.
“We have had information already that almost 150 workers in the municipalities of the Central Division — Suva, Lami, Nausori and Nasinu — will be affected by this policy,” he claimed.
“I think this is ludicrous.” From August 1, all municipal councils in Fiji will reduce their retirement age from 60 to 55.
“Majority of those people are not at the senior level, and these are people earning $4 and $5 an hour,” claimed Mr Prasad.
“This is the time to give them confidence and assurance that they will have a job. I mean, you are making them anxious and many of them would have made their plans for the next two years or three years.” He said the reduction in the retirement age would also contravene collective agreements that the workers had with municipal councils.
“It is going to be a kick in the guts of those workers who will have to retire in the next one-and-a-half to two years.”
Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the Minister for Local Government was trying to modernise the municipal councils.
“That will mean eventually higher pay rises,” he said.
“Some of these people get paid very low salaries, so it is the entire restructure, modernising, mechanising it.”
The Local Government (Budget Amendment) Bill 2020 was passed by Parliament. |
