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The Employment Relations Promulgation 2007 is intended to benefit government, employers and employees alike, said President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau while opening today’s 11th Attorney General’s conference at the Warwick Hotel.
The meeting of legal practitioners and stakeholders discussed issues relating to the new Crimes Decree, which seeks to address issues like Internet governance, PACER and PACER-Plus and human trafficking.
“An area of law that is slowly taking shape in Fiji is the dispute resolution mechanism available under the employment and industrial relations machinery. The relevant law in this regard, the Employment Relations Promulgation 2007, is intended to be beneficial to government, employers and employees alike. It is designed to get rid of delays in resolving employment related disputes that have, in the past, been the cause of work disruptions and strikes leading to economic losses and downturns in national productivities,” Nailatikau said.
He said apart from reforming Fiji’s outdated labour laws, the Employment Relations Promulgation “provides for a business environment that promotes flexibility in wage fixing, stable employment relationships, favourable terms and conditions of employment and good faith bargaining that will enhance the productivity of the nation.”
“A salient feature of the promulgation is the dispute resolution provision where emphasis is placed on the prior resolution of differences by the parties with the aim of resolving matters at an early stage. The promulgation thus ensures a smooth and speedy resolution of grievances and disputes through mediation. It is aimed at changing the focus of resolving disputes or grievances from the adversarial approach to the empowerment of parties to resolve their disputes and grievances through mediation.”
