Fiji Minister says he's still involved in ILO talks

Fiji's Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations says he will remain in the loop regarding negotiations with unions for the upcoming International Labour Organisation mission.

The ILO mission to review obstacles to a required joint implementation plan is due in Fiji this month and comes after unions refused to sign the plan over concerns government was infringing workers' rights.

Last week the National Federation Party and the Fiji Trades Union Congress hit out at government moves to replace Employment and Industrial Relations Minister Semi Koroilavesau with Solicitor-General Shavarda Sharma as a lead negotiator.

But Mr Koroilavesau says he remains involved and the government simply decided that using the Employment Relations Advisory Board or ERAB (E-RAB) would be the best way forward.

"A decision was made by government that the normal platform for tripartite meetings is to be chaired by the chair of ERA. I am not the chair of ERA but the Solicitor-General is the chairman. I am not within the ERA but the discussions of ERA will come to me as the minister."