AG, Bala and Gavoka debate over what the government has done for workers rights

Minister for Employment, Parveen Bala says the FijiFirst Government will not tolerate any abuse of workers’ rights at work places.

While speaking on the motion that Parliament debates the ‘Public Petition for Parliament to urgently look into the ill treatment faced by staff and former staff of the Grand Pacific Hotel which was tabled in 2018', Bala says the mover of the petition at that time knew the ministry was involved in the issue.

Bala also refuted claims by SODELPA MP, Viliame Gavoka that the government did not do anything about the issue.

Gavoka labelled the then General Manager of Grand Pacific Hotel as a tyrant.

Gavoka says that he ill-treated the workers of GPH.

Gavoka says he also has issues when the Fijian people were subjected to the ‘F’ word.

He says in the past people were given 24 hours to leave the country if they did that but he does not know what has happened now.

Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says they also raised issues personally on the manner in which the then General Manager used to get the porters to wear funny hats that kind of reminded people that we were back in the colonial days.

He says those hats were removed.

Sayed-Khaiyum says they did not bring this man to GPH.

He also urged people not to be xenophobic about the issue.

The petition was first brought to Parliament in 2015.

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