MUNRO Leys lawyer Jon Apted has called on the Fiji Trade Union Congress to focus on the concerns he raised about the draft Employment Relations Amendment Bill rather than resorting to personal attacks.
Responding to FTUC national secretary Felix Anthony’s heated remarks against Mr Apted’s views on the proposed legislation, he said the focus of his comments before a Parliamentary Standing Committee on the draft Bill was that the changes adversely affected workers.
“They will stop current employers from hiring new workers and stop some investors from going into business altogether,” said Mr Apted.
“None of this is good for workers.
“And these risks do not just apply to big employers. I emphasised that these risks apply to everyone who employs someone, including small business, farms and even a family that employs a housemaid.
“It applies even if someone has worked for you for a single day.”
He said the proposed Bill could also deter foreign investors from investing in Fiji.
“When I spoke to the Parliamentary committee I tried to compare Australia and New Zealand laws to the Bill’s proposals.
“That’s because these countries are recognised for protecting workers’ rights and the Bill is supposedly modelled on their laws.
“They are also where many of our investors come from.
“Those investors are unlikely to invest in Fiji if the risk and costs of doing business are greater here.”
Mr Apted added the Bill also took away the right of unionised workers to negotiate their own individual terms of employment.
“It will give trade unions the exclusive power to bargain for members.
“This means that a union member cannot even agree their own promotion or salary with their employer.
“Employment laws affect nearly everybody. They must be forward looking. Many of the changes proposed in the Bill are the opposite of this.”
