People working in essential industries will soon be able to join trade unions or continue with their current collective bargaining units.
Under the Essential National Industries Decree, any and all office-bearers, officers, representatives, executives and members of a union which represent workers employed by designated corporations must at all times, be employees of the designated corporation which they represent.
While speaking at the welcome ceremony of the new Boeing 737-800 for Fiji Airways in Nadi, Acting Prime Minister and Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum confirmed that the bill for an act to amend the Employment Relations Promulgation 2007 and for related matters has already been tabled in parliament.
Sayed-Khaiyum said the bill also proposes for the setting up of an Arbitration Court.
The bill said that all workers in an essential service and industry shall have the right to form and join a trade union or a Bargaining Unit, and shall be entitled to engage in collective bargaining, and to have their trade disputes adjudicated by the Arbitration Court.
The proposed law says essential service and industry includes those essential national industries declared and designated corporations, and shall also include the Government, a statutory authority, a local authority including a city council, town council or rural authority and Government commercial companies.
According to the bill, the Arbitration Court shall be presided over by a Chair or such number of Deputy Chairs as determined by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister following consultation by the Prime Minister with the Chief Justice.
The Chair and the Deputy Chairs shall have the same rights, privileges, protection and immunity as a Judge of the High Court.
The mechanism also includes the setting up of Employer and Worker Panels to handle trade disputes.
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