FPSA refuses to comment on Labour support

Publish date/time: 04/09/2012 [10:55]

The biggest union for civil servants, the Fiji Public Service Association (FPSA), is refusing to comment on whether it has also pulled away from the Fiji Labour Party (FLP).

Fijivillage has contacted FPSA general secretary Rajeshwar Singh whether he was in the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) meeting of union representatives that decided to stop supporting the Fiji Labour Party.

Singh first said that we should ask FTUC president Daniel Urai and then said that he will not comment.

We tried Singh again this morning and he hung up.

Meanwhile, Daniel Urai said the representatives of all the unions affiliated with FTUC have decided that their support for the Fiji Labour Party should stop.

Urai said the congress which is made up of union representatives made the decision and they are now looking at the next step.

He said FTUC is also considering forming a political party.

Urai said FTUC which formed the FLP believes a party needs to be in place that looks after workers’ rights and interests.

In an earlier statement, the Fiji Labour Party said there were no proposals, motions or submissions received from FTUC’s Felix Anthony or Daniel Urai on the plight of the workers for the party’s Annual Delegates Conference.

The FLP said it is sheer hypocrisy for Anthony and Urai to accuse the FLP of not representing workers’ interests when the finger is clearly pointing at them.

The Labour Party statement goes on to say that Anthony and Urai need to be told that merely attending overseas conferences every other month does not constitute representing workers’ rights.

Urai said the FLP can say whatever it wants but they have made their stand on the Labour Party and will leave it at that.

Story by: Vijay Narayan & William Waqavakatoga