Fiji delegation meets ILO Director-General in Geneva

Fiji's efforts to reform its labour laws and strengthen the Pacific's voice on labour issues have received international recognition following a high-level meeting with the head of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva.

Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, Hon. Agni Deo Singh, led a Fiji delegation that met ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo on 5 June, where discussions focused on Fiji's labour reform agenda and the growing role of Pacific nations in shaping regional and global labour policy.

The delegation included Permanent Secretary for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Jone Maritino Nemani and Fiji's tripartite partners representing workers, employers and government.

During the meeting, Minister Singh updated the ILO on the Coalition Government's ongoing review of the Employment Relations Act 2007, which is expected to be debated in Parliament next month.

He also highlighted progress made by Pacific Labour Ministers since the inaugural Employment, Climate Change and Security Conference in September 2025 and Fiji's hosting of the first Pacific Labour Ministers and Senior Government Officials Meeting in Nadi in May this year.

Singh said Pacific nations needed a stronger collective voice within the ILO to address issues unique to the region, particularly the impacts of climate change on workers and employers. He reaffirmed Fiji's commitment to social justice, decent work, gender equality, inclusion and social protection.

The Minister also noted that the Coalition Government had restored the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike, stressing that workers' rights and dignity must always be respected.

Representing employers, Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation President Eldon Eastgate outlined the private sector's priorities, including strengthening labour laws, improving labour supply, increasing productivity, adopting artificial intelligence and supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

Permanent Secretary Nemani called on the ILO to recognise the distinct challenges facing Pacific Island countries and renewed Fiji's proposal for a sub-regional ILO office in Suva to better support vulnerable small island states.

In response, Houngbo thanked Fiji for its leadership role in advancing labour outcomes across the Pacific and acknowledged the speed with which the country had delivered on regional commitments agreed by Pacific Islands Forum leaders.

He also expressed support for the Pacific having a stronger voice within the Asia-Pacific Group and congratulated Fiji on what he described as its ability to "under-promise and over-deliver" over the past three years.

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