Country Report By Fiji Trades Union Congress

1. Country ReportBy Fiji Trades Union Congress Submitted to the Course on Trade Union Training on IT with a Focus On Network’s Development

2. Brief Background • Fiji is an island nation with a population of approximately 850 000 people, the main races being native Fijians and Indo-Fijians. • Location: North of New Zealand and West of Australia • Two major islands: Viti Levu and Vanua Levu • Major resources: Forestry, marine resources, agricultural products. Surrounded by the Paciifc Ocean • Thrives on tourism. • Current situation: A major political crisis, govt has been deposed by the Military.

3. Economic Policies Due to increased economic activity in the recent past few months, many changes in economic policies have taken place: • Monetary Polices: Increase in Interest Rates to curb money supply in the economy to dampen consumer spending. • Restricting transfer of funds outside the country. • Increasing requirements to transfer these profits • Limit to repatriation of profits: $Im limit • Attempt to stop possible devaluation of the dollar

4. Fiscal Policies: • Increase in value added tax in next year’s budget • Increase in duty and tariffs for imported white goods • Focus on local produce This has risen mainly to strong union activity. The Public sector unions have been able to negotiate with govt. successive COLA payments backdated to 2003. Resource owners received compensation for the use of their land ( FEA payout)

5. Labour Policies • Proposed Changes in the whole system of IR Framework, All labour laws have been consolidated in the existing ER Bill. • ER Bill No 8 of 2006: • Addresses various issues such as EEO, Maternity Protection, Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value, Right To Strike, Essential Services, Issue of Recognition. • New machinery to resolve disputes-establishment of a Labor Court. • Non-unionized workers will also have access to trade dispute machinery. • Unanimously supported in the Lower house of Parliament . • Labour Reforms (FEA/Telecommunications)

6. Impact of Globalization: • Decrease in trade union density • Reduction of working hours • Exploitation of workers in vulnerable sectors (informal economy) • Decrease in take-home pay • Deterioration of working conditions • Relaxation of laws to secure investment • Deregulation of labour market-capitalist influence/power • Poverty levels are rising and so are other social problems. • Expiration of Trade agreements (PACER,PICTA,WTO)

7. Gender Issues and Globalization • Huge impact on the working class, esp. the poor employed in garment industries, manufacturing sector, etc • Women work in inhumane conditions, lack of proper facilities such as sanitation, toilet facilities, OHS issues, proper breaks, etc • Difficult to organize in these areas as supported by laws/govt already makes promise to deregulate labour laws.

8. (Cont) • Change in work types: more temporary, part-time, casual, project workers due to sub-contracting. Prevalent mostly in the tourism industry in Fiji’s context. • Increase in child labour, poor pay, bad conditions of work, deprivation of rights such as annual leave, overtime pay, etc

9. Trade Unions in Fiji • Two umbrella bodies- FTUC FICTU • Unionization Rate:30% of total paid labor is unionized. • Structure (see attachment) • Number of affiliates: 28 (formation of 3 more) • Membership: 33,000 (one third females, two thirds males) • Trend: Decline Current political crisis will see a further decline due to loss of jobs, sanctions on aid, winding up of businesses due to losses.

10. Challenges: • Organizing: • inaccessibility to workplaces, inability to reach out to workers, uneducated poor cannot understand the need for unions, poor pay so question on the immediate benefits. Trade Union Education: • lack of funds • Limited facilities • Inability to secure leave • Selection of appropriate personnel to undergo training

11. Communication • Lack of infrastructure, technology. • Since fulltime employees, cannot access union office during working hours. • Rural based offices: do not have fax, email facilities. • Inability to use computer technology-lack of education/training • 3 unions out of the 28 have websites. National Centre does not have this facility.

12. Campaigns • Have to conduct after-hours. • Employers are not cooperative • Funds and aid is limited • Geographically dispersed throughout the country (outer islands) • Publicity material/training

13. Use of Information Technology • Training/Conduct of workshops • Communication between affiliates and national centre (limited)-YW & WW • Communication devices such as scanners, fax machines, telephones, email. • Limited usage currently-one PC has email facilities only

14. Needs Analysis of IT • Need to host website for easy access to information for members, affiliates and the general public • Training for officials to be able to use IT (scanners, email, etc) • Multi-media facilities: laptop, desktops, OHP, Video player, Video Screen, access to email

15. Current situation • Current political impasse has affected workers already. Laying-off of hotel workers. • Demand for return to democracy • Aid sanctions • Withdrawal of incoming aid. • Labour law reforms pending.

16. Thank you • THE END • Any Questions ??