Fiji Airways has expressed strong concerns over provisions in the Employment Relations (Amendment) Bill 2025 relating to union bargaining fees, warning they undermine voluntary unionism and place unnecessary burdens on employers.
In its submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, the Fiji Airways Group said the proposed universal bargaining fee framework wrongly assumes that all employment benefits arise solely from union negotiations.
“This disregards improvements delivered through legislation or employer initiatives – something we pride ourselves in at Fiji Airways,” the airline stated.
Fiji Airways also pointed out that the framework provides no mechanism to identify which benefits were actually secured by unions, while compelling non-union members to contribute financially.
“It undermines voluntary union membership by forcing non-members to pay, and removes employer discretion to extend negotiated benefits to all employees regardless of union status,” the submission said.
Under Clause 55, non-union workers who benefit from union-negotiated terms would be required to pay a bargaining fee equivalent to one year’s union subscription, or risk losing access to those benefits.
“This effectively makes union-related payments a condition of employment, which is inconsistent with principles of freedom of association and voluntary participation,” Fiji Airways argued.
The airline recommended that any payment to unions should be strictly voluntary and subject to a worker’s prior written consent, and that employers should retain discretion to apply negotiated terms consistently across their workforce.
Fiji Airways also raised concerns about mandatory union consultation, saying representation should remain an employee choice.
“Mandating consultation creates unnecessary administrative burdens for employers without delivering clear benefits to workers,” it said.
On Clause 29, which requires new employers to consult unions when hiring transferring union members, Fiji Airways warned this could complicate business transitions and “impede the employability of union workers.”
