Solidarity with the Fijan workers of the SARUP-1 project!

BWI calls on all its trade union affiliates to express their solidarity with the workers of the Suva Arterial Roads Upgrading Project-1 (SARUP 1 Contract No. FRA/TIISP/16-01) in Fiji, whose rights are persistently violated by the China Railway No 5 Engineering Group (CR5), which in charge of the project. 

The said company is a subsidiary of the China Railway Group Limited for the Fiji Road Authority (FRA) and was previously co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB). Since 2019, workers on the project have been the victims of grave violations of national and international labour standards. 

The Construction, Energy & Timber Workers Union of Fiji (CETWUF) has attempted to engage the CR5 in collective bargaining negotiations. However, the company has consistently refused to conclude negotiations that would improve wages and conditions for project workers. CETWUF has also reported that more than 80 unjustified termination cases have been reported to the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations. Sadly, bureaucratic delays have prevented these workers from receiving justice. 

In solidarity with the workers on the SARUP-1 project, BWI urges all its affiliates to send letters to the CR5 and demand it to:

• End its exploitative labour practices,
• Engage in a serious and sincere collective bargaining process with its workers,
• Finalise the 2021 Log of Claims and giving immediate effect to that agreement, substantially increasing living standards. 

Download the letter here.