Deal was a political move, says Koroi
( Wednesday, July 11, 2007 )
The FTA and its FICTU affiliates, the Public Employees Union and the Viti National Union of Taukei Workers have refused to sign the deal offered by Public Service Minister Poseci Bune to the Confederation.
Only one Confederation affiliate, the Fiji Nursing Association has rejected the deal.
Talks between FICTU and Bune this morning also failed to ward off the planned strike by FICTU unions on August 2nd although another round of talks has been scheduled for tomorrow morning.
Koroi says the deal was not addressed by the Cabinet even though the unions had sent in their proposals. He says it’s interesting that Bune, a Labor Party member had signed an agreement with Confederation affiliates headed by Labor Party sympathizers Agni Deo Singh of the Fiji Teachers Union and Rajeshwar Singh, of the Fiji Public Servants Association.
Koroi also questioned the integrity of the Cabinet in not making a firm decision on this national issue.
“One could say that why I am saying this is because our submissions have gone to the Cabinet meeting and they are the one that make the decisions and they are the highest authority in the land and here we have the Cabinet rejecting that and yet two ministers have come down from there and signed an agreement with two unions of the public sector unions, what is happening and where is authority, is it in cabinet or with the two ministers? all of this races a lot of questions.”
FTA President claims that the deal made yesterday between Government and CPSU was a political move