The Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) says proposed amendments to the Employment Relations law risk imposing “maximum and unsustainable standards” on businesses, warning that compliance with international labour conventions must reflect Fiji’s economic reality.
Federation chief executive officer Edward Bernard said while international obligations are important, Fiji cannot afford changes that could raise the cost of doing business or add criminal penalties that exceed what the country can sustainably enforce.
“The ILO Conventions provide for the adoption of minimum labour standards and we must ensure that we are not over-reaching by adopting maximum and unsustainable standards for Fiji in the Employment Relations (Amendment) Bill,” he said.
Mr Bernard, who has previously worked for the ILO and the Ministry of Employment, criticised the Fiji Trades Union Congress.
He said it was “irresponsible” for the FTUC to use the aligning to ILO Conventions card and expect unsustainable conditions, high fines and strict criminal penalties to be included in the Bill.
He said the federation has supported government efforts to align Fiji’s laws with Convention 87 on freedom of association and Convention 144 on tripartite consultation, but argued more analysis is required to identify any remaining gaps.
“Fiji is a small developing island state with the high cost of doing business, huge outward skills migration and low productivity,” he said, adding that the Bill, in its current form, “fails to address these real challenges faced by the private sector”.
The federation is calling for caution as consultations on the reforms continue.
