Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) Secretary General Felix Anthony has warned that there are efforts underway to delay the Employment Relations (Amendment) Bill 2025 from reaching Parliament.

Speaking before the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs in Suva yesterday, Mr Anthony urged the committee to treat the bill as a priority after what he described as 15 years of waiting by workers and trade unions.

“We are mindful that there are efforts to try and delay this bill going to Parliament,” he said.

“This bill has now been published for almost four weeks. If someone was really interested, they would have gone through it by now and sought advice. Please don’t allow delaying tactics — if they can’t do it in four or five weeks, they never will.”

Anthony reiterated the FTUC’s call for urgency.

“We’ve waited 15 years for this bill. Trade unions and workers have gone through very difficult times, and we just hope the committe can give this the priority it deserves — perhaps we can have a better Christmas this year,” he said.

Deputy Chairperson of the Committee Premila Kumar acknowledged Anthony’s concerns but said the committee was working within tight timelines and multiple legislative obligations.

“We are finalizing the Credit Union Bill, which will be presented in the November sitting, and Parliament will prorogue in the first week of December,” she said.

“We’re trying our level best to bring this bill forward by then, but it depends on the consultations we have with stakeholders and their requests for more time.”

“It is our intention to complete the bill on time, but it’s quite complicated, so we have to consider public requests for more time,” she said.

The Standing Committee continues to receive submissions from employers, unions, and other stakeholders before finalising its report for Parliament.