Fiji Trades Unions Congress national secretary Felix Anthony says while prominent lawyer Jon Apted may have extensive experience in labour law, he has not appraised himself with the process agreed to with the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation and Government on the labour law review that has been ongoing for the last 11 years.

Anthony says the review was to ensure that Fiji complied fully with all ILO Core conventions and other conventions that Fiji had ratified.

He says, secondly, Fiji fully addressed the concerns raised by the ILO Committee of Experts on several issues that did not comply with the Conventions, and thirdly, the review was to incorporate the Conventions that Fiji recently ratified like the Maritime Labour Convention and Convention 190 on Violence Against Women at Work.

Anthony says fourthly, the employers and workers were to raise any issues that were thought to be counter-productive to industrial relations.

He says that in response to Apted’s comments at the recent TOPEX conference, the FTUC would like to clarify that he was not involved in any of the meetings that were conducted for the past 11 years and has no knowledge of the extensive discussions and debates that took place with ILO advice over the years.

“It is apparent that he is merely parroting what some employers have claimed recently on the alleged lack of consultation,” Anthony said.

“The Ministry of Employment, despite repeated consultation meetings over the past months, reconvened the ERAB (Employment Relations Advisory Board) sub-committee to again discuss issues that had already been discussed a number of times.”

Anthony says the exercise was “completed in an amicable manner with the Permanent Secretary for Employment, thanking all parties and once again stating that the process of tripartite consultations was over.”

“Mr Apted claimed that the review was done behind closed doors and questioned whether this was tripartism.”

“I urge Mr Apted to familarise himself with ILO Convention 144 on Tripartism.”

Anthony says the review was led by FCEF – representing the employers, FTUC – representing the workers, five Permanent Secretaries from different ministries and the Solicitor General’s Office.

“Contrary to Mr Apted’s claims, the review addressed generally all workplaces including the malpractices that existed in some industries or businesses, including the huge issue of wage theft by some unscrupulous employers.”

“The Bill, once tabled in Parliament, will be referred to a Standing Committee where the public will be invited to make submissions.”

“This is the normal course of how laws are made and Mr Apted ought to know this.”