The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) condemned the arrest of Felix Anthony, the National Secretary of the FIJI Trades Union Congress and the President of the International Trade Union Federation of Asia and the Pacific, along with about 30 other trade unionists, on the May Day.
This arrest followed Anthony's participation in a tripartite meeting with the government, employers and the ILO representatives in Suva, when the police raided the conference room to arrest him.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) issued a statement condemning the arrest of the trade unionist, Felix Anthony, and his colleagues, asking for their release.
Moreover, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) considered this operation as a flagrant violation of the law by the Fiji authorities, which exacerbated by the fact that the police have raided an ILO meeting to arrest of Felix Anthony, where in the government was present as well.
Thus, the ITUC called for his immediate release along with all the other detainees, and to drop the fabricated charges, considering that the measures taken by the government aimed primarily at preventing a public demonstration, which was planned for the coming days in defence of the workers, in the Fiji Water Authority, as well as preventing Felix Anthony from representing the workers in a court hearing on the 2nd of May, in addition to the imposing of strict restrictions on the labour rights and the presentation of their case to the public.
The ITUC highlighted that these mass arrests showed that the government did not respect the fundamental rights of the freedom of association and collective bargaining, which are guaranteed by the ILO standards and called on the Fiji government to immediately release the unionist, Felix Anthony, and his colleagues, through the formation of an international campaign.
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