SOME members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee carrying out consultations on the draft Employment Relations Act seem to be confused, says Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh.
He said the confusion had resulted in a number of misinformed submissions from stakeholders participating in nationwide consultations.
He said to avoid this, they lobbied to include a technical support team to accompany the committee.
“Finally, from yesterday our technical support team has been allowed to accompany the sector committee to clarify issues that have in the earlier week, been creating a lot of confusion because I believe the members of the sector committee as well as those who are making those submissions, to be honest, are confused” said Mr Singh.
“They are all confused.”
He said initially their request was opposed by the committee before the Speaker of the House’s Chambers gave the green light.
“Some members of the sector committee opposed our inclusion to support them.
“My experience in 2006 when the ERA (Employment Relations Act) was done then as a member of the sector committee I know that the Ministry of Labour then was with us full time to clarify all technical matters.
“So, we do not know why they were against that idea, but we have finally got the approval from the honourable Speaker’s Chambers and we joined them from yesterday (October 27).
“We are very happy that we are able to provide those clarifications.
“There is a lot of news in the media that is incorrect.”
Opposition not new, says Minister
THERE was a lot of opposition to the Employment Regulations Act in 2006 from businesses, but everything was normal after the regulation came into place, says Minister for Employment Agni Deo Singh.
Speaking at a trade union workshop in Nadi yesterday, Mr Singh said the recent opposition from employers was not new.
“There are always those who will oppose it,” said Mr Singh.
“I have said this when I was also in Parliament in 2006 with Mr (Felix) Anthony and a few others, we did the 2007 ERA and during that period I was involved in the sector committee consulting all stakeholders.
“During that consultation it was the same story.
“The employers vehemently opposed it.
“They said it was going to create havoc in the business sector, SMEs will close, all of the garment factories will close but nothing like that happened.
“Everything was normal except that the employers and workers had the laws in place.
“The same is going on now.”
He said after 15 years, a proper legislation for employment was finally close to being implemented.
“This Employment Relations Act had been discussed by the Employment Relations Advisory Board for almost 15 years.
“I was part of the FTUC (Fiji Trade Union Congress) team in those days, and we kept on coming to the table convened by ILO, year in, year out.
“Discussions took place without any substantive measures being undertaken by the then government.
“When we came in, we resumed dialogue but before that we established ERAB correctly and through the ERAB we have taken this dialogue forward.”
