2014 ACTU media release > Abbott Government contempt for Human and Trade Union Rights in Fiji: Key Decisions of the ACTU Executive 18 & 19 March 2013 Bob Hawke Room 365 Queen Street, Melbourne ACTU Executive expresses its deep concern regarding the Abbott Government’s utter contempt for human and trade union rights at home and abroad. The Government’s disdain for workers’ rights in Australia is well established. Its slew of inquiries directed to undermining the protection of wages and working conditions of Australian workers, and its attacks on Australian unions, are now underway. The Government’s complete disregard for the basic rights of working people does not stop at Australia’s borders. Fiji Visiting Fiji on 14 February 2014, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met Fiji’s military dictator Frank Bainimarama and announced unconditional moves to ‘normalise’ relations between Fiji and Australia, including removing travel bans and other restrictions on members of the regime and reinstate defence contacts. All this although the Bainimarama regime has violated human rights on numerous accounts in recent years: The Bainimarama regime harasses and intimidates Fijian unions and unionists; There is no freedom of association in Fiji; permits are required for meetings of more than 3 people; The Essential Industries Decree extinguishes workers’ rights to union representation and collective bargaining; Union members have been detained and beaten on numerous occasions; The regime’s new Constitution purports to ban union officials from seeking elected office; ILO officials on an high-level contacts mission were expelled from the country and the regime has refused to allow the mission to return; Workers at a Fiji Sheraton hotel who struck on New Year’s Eve were arrested and detained; subsequently charges were dropped for lack of evidence; Election preparations fail to meet the most basic standard required of free and fair elections. The Abbott government’s abject refusal to recognise the human rights of Fijian workers has paved the way for the regrettable decision of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting in London on 14 March to change Fiji’s current full suspension from the Commonwealth to suspension from the councils of the Commonwealth, permitting Fiji to participate in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland from 23 July to 3 August 2014. In response, unions have accelerated an online awareness campaign (Destination Fiji) and this week began online advertising to drive traffic to the campaign website.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:55:34 +0000
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