THE proposed Employment Relations Bill of 2025 creates a culture of fear, says Labasa Chamber of Commerce president Vinesh Dayal.
Under the draft law, Mr Dayal said, labour officers are allowed to enter workplaces without notice, seize documents and shut down operations immediately if they suspect any wrongdoing.
“This is not about keeping workers safe. This is about turning civil servants into enforcers. They’ll walk in, take what they want, shut your doors, and leave you to clean up the mess,” Mr Dayal said.
He said these powers feel less like workplace safety measures and more like something out of a crime show.
“In places like ours, we don’t have teams of lawyers or big HR departments. We have family-run shops, local cafes, and tradesmen who are just trying to do the right thing. This Bill treats them like criminals.”
While speaking at the consultation, he said he was not against the Bill but supported fair treatment of workers and proper enforcement of labour laws.
“Imagine an officer walking into your shop, taking your records, shutting you down, all without notice, and no way to question it. No warning. No time to explain. That’s not fair, and it’s not Fiji.”
He believes the Ministry of Labour should learn from the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS), which has moved towards a more relationship-based compliance model.
“FRCS shows that when you treat businesses like partners instead of suspects, you get better results. People want to do the right thing when you give them a chance.”
He said the government should slow down and rethink.
“What’s at stake here isn’t just paperwork, it’s people’s livelihoods. One bad inspection, one misuse of power, and someone’s whole life’s work could collapse. That’s not regulation, that’s destruction.”
He said labour officers should be required to give written notice before entering businesses, unless it’s a genuine emergency, like a serious injury or safety threat.
“We all want safer, fairer workplaces. But the path to that can’t be fear and intimidation. The path has to be respect, dialogue, and fairness.”
He said if the Bill passes as it is, respect could be lost among businesses and labour officers.
