Strong reaction to ILO mission eviction from Fiji

Contributor: Fuseworks Media
Thursday, 20 September, 2012 - 08:13

Concern is mounting about the shock decision by the Fijian Government to order an International Labour Organisation (ILO) mission out of the country.

Peter Conway, CTU Secretary, says "the New Zealand Government should strongly condemn this action by the Fijian Government".

The Mission led by Judge Abdul Koroma (a Judge on the International Court of Justice and a distinguished member of the ILO Committee of Experts on the Applications of Conventions and Recommendations) arrived in Fiji on Monday and was scheduled to attend a number of meetings with the Government and civil society until Friday.

Given the huge concerns about fundamental worker rights in Fiji including oppressive decrees and mistreatment and arrest of union leaders, the eviction of this high level Mission is a worrying signal.

Peter Conway said that this latest step shows that the New Zealand Government was precipitate in agreeing to re-establish diplomatic links at High Commissioner level.

"There is a major Constitutional review under way in Fiji and that process is itself a test of whether there could be fair and free democratic elections in 2014. The eviction of the ILO Mission is further evidence that there is no intention of allowing genuine democracy".