State coercion and public sector unionism in post-coup Fiji

Abstract

The trade union movement played a pivotal role in the formation of the Fiji Labour Party, and later represented a potential source of organized opposition to the military regime which overthrew the Labour Government in 1987. This paper explores why the Fiji administration perceived organized labour as a threat and discusses the measures the military regime took to retain control by weakening any political role for unions. Much of the regime's energy in this respect has been directed towards the Fiji Public Service Association. Its leaders argue that the fundamental issue of trade union rights can not be guaranteed without the protection of human rights and a democratic framework in Fiji, neither of which is assured in the recently promulgated constitution.