Attorney General and Tourism Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the call by the Australian Council of Trade Unions to boycott Fiji’s tourism and garment industry in response to the Essential National Industries Decree is absurd.

Sayed-Khaiyum said the decree only applies to the state-owned and state-backed enterprises and financial institutions.

He said it does not apply to the garment industry or to the entire tourism industry.

The Attorney General said it seems professional trade unionists will stop at nothing to ensure their member dues keep coming in and that their high-salaried jobs are protected.

He said what needs to be recognized is that the ACTU’s threat to hold the livelihoods of Fijians hostage is precisely the type of activity that the decree seeks to curb in the first place.

Sayed-Khaiyum said the Bainimarama government only wants to ensure that the livelihoods of all Fijians are guaranteed and not derailed by the greed of a few.

Australian Council of Trade Unions President Ged Kearny made the call to boycott Fiji’s tourism and garment industry at the Public Services International Conference in Sydney.

He said a major awareness campaign will be held in relation to this.


Story by: Vijay Narayan