The chairman of the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) Board, Atunaisa Nayago, has stated that the FRA is willing to address issues with the Construction, Energy, Timber Workers Union of Fiji (CETWUF) within the legal framework. While he did not provide specific details regarding the current deadlock, he noted that the union’s recent statements on social media reflected this situation.
According to Nayago, the Employment Relations Act 2007 provides a structured mechanism for dispute resolution designed to handle such conflicts fairly. He emphasized that the FRA prefers to utilize this process to manage the ongoing stalemate, maintaining the integrity of both parties involved.
Nayago criticized the use of public media for resolving disputes, suggesting that such actions could be seen as an attempt to pressure the other party, which he believes does not lead to effective resolution.
His comments follow a September 3 press release from CETWUF, signed by national secretary John Paul, indicating that FRA employees who are union members have overwhelmingly voted for potential strike action. Paul highlighted that since its establishment in 2012, the FRA has received over $4 billion in government funding.
In early 2023, the FRA joined CETWUF, and discussions were held about employee terms and conditions. Paul expressed concern that the FRA, which is supported by taxpayer money, lacks a salary structure and a performance management system. He also claimed that increments have not been applied fairly and that management has ignored the union’s requests for salary increases based on cost-of-living adjustments since 2017.
Furthermore, Paul noted that although the Coalition Government abolished contract-based appointments in the civil service, entities like the FRA are still employing these contracts amidst a critical shortage of workers in the construction sector.
CETWUF recently conducted a secret ballot for strike action with the supervision of officials from the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations, which may lead to disruptions in FRA operations in the coming months.