The Registrar of Trade Unions has denied the Fiji Teachers Union’s (FTU) requests for a secret ballot to authorize strike action on two occasions. The first request was submitted on June 11, followed by a second on June 26.
In a recent newsletter, the FTU informed its members that the notice for the secret ballot was originally filed with the Registrar, who also serves as the Permanent Secretary for Labour, Productivity, and Employment Relations. The union’s concerns center around demands for a 30 percent increase in salaries and allowances, as well as the employer’s failure to negotiate claims for 2022 and 2023.
After reviewing the FTU’s application, the Registrar responded on June 25, indicating that the union had not fully utilized internal dispute resolution procedures. Consequently, he stated that his office could not facilitate the ballot request. The FTU was encouraged to engage in internal dispute resolution and good faith bargaining as stipulated in the Employment Relations Act 2007.
Dissatisfied with the Registrar’s decision, the FTU formally disputed the rejection in a letter sent on June 26. However, on July 4, the Registrar reaffirmed his refusal to approve the application for a secret ballot.
FTU representatives expressed that acquiring the secret ballot would have allowed the union a six-month period to negotiate effectively with the relevant authorities. They emphasized the significance of good faith bargaining for any salary adjustments and urged members to recognize the challenges faced by unions over the past 16 years, which hindered successful negotiations with the employer.
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