Your Help Please, Labour Mediation and Social Justice, Land Bank Progress

N0134. AN APPEAL TO READERS. My youngest daughter (who had most of her primary and secondary school education in Fiji) has been pestered by friends and colleagues to explain what is happening in Fiji.  She has suggested the blog would be improved with tabs to FAQ and a timeline.  I would be most grateful if readers would share this work with me by suggesting Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) and parts of a timeline from, say, 1999.

I would also be grateful if readers would suggest topics for publication, especially if they provided all or some of the material.  Without this input, all topics chosen are mine and I have no way of knowing whether my selection is the most appropriate. 

N0135. LABOUR MEDIATION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. The Ministry of Labour’s mediation service performed strongly throughout 2010, resolving 79% of all employment grievances referred to it by individual workers, most of whom are not members of any trade union and recovered $411,979 for the workers. Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, Filipe Bole (photo)  said the service had proven to be an effective social justice institution.  It also stabilises the labour market, effectively resolves potential strikes, heals impaired employment relationships and promotes peace, boost productivity including the wellbeing of workers.

The Minister  said that for the first time in Fiji’s history the vulnerable non-unionised workers (comprising 70% of the employment sector) were empowered under the new labour laws to access the Ministry’s mediation service, free of charge and seek redress for their grievances arising out of unfair dismissal, being disadvantaged, discrimination, sexual harassment and cases of duress.

This is by far the single most important social justice provision affecting the most vulnerable workers in our society, which is designed to restore their dignity in workplaces. 

In this regard, the mediation service promotes the principles of good faith, common citizenship, fairness, equity, justice and good governance which are the hallmarks of Government’s Peoples Charter for Change, Peace and Progress. -- Based in 0386/MOL.

N0136. LAND BANK GAINS MOMENTUM. Cabinet has approved the Land Use Regulations 2011 which will see the establishment of a Land Use Unit within the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources. The unit will be responsible for creating a land bank,  issuing leases over all designated lands, and collect and distributing rentals. The Regulations will provide the legal framework for issuance of leases under the Land Use Decree 2010.

The key provisions of the regulations include consent of native land owning units prior to depositing their land in the Land Use Bank including those under reserves; election of trustees as legal representatives of the land owning units whose role will be limited to matters relating to leasing of lands, the collection and fair distribution of rentals and premiums.

The provisions also include designation of land to be included in the Land Use Bank; the formulation of the State lease and forms for usage by the Land Use Unit; distribution of rentals; leasing on the market value of designated land, and valuation of designated native land by the State, government agencies and statutory authority.

The purpose of the land bank is to bring more Native and State land into production by providing security of tenure to leasees and assured rents to itaukei owners.

WEEKEND READING 

♦ Allen Lockington Column                                                                                   

♦ Gujerati: Wealth and Poverty                       

♦ Britain to Deport Fijian War Hero by Christopher Booker, Sunday Telegraph.