Washington [US], February 11: The proposed Employment Relations (Amendment) Bill could change workplace relationships from cooperation to strict enforcement, creating fear among small business owners.
Suva Retailers Association highlighted this while making submissions on the bill before the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs.
Association President, Jitesh Patel, raised concerns that the Bill focuses heavily on penalties, inspections and prosecution, rather than encouraging employers and workers to resolve issues through discussion and mediation.
Patel says small and family-run businesses could be severely affected, as simple administrative mistakes could attract heavy fines or even jail terms.
For larger corporations, there's a cost. For small retailers, it is a closure because they cannot afford these huge fines that have all been put up. We believe in compliance with education, but not fear.
He says most small businesses do not have human resources departments and rely on daily communication and trust with their employees.
"Regulations must be proportional to business size and capability because most of the retailers are small businesses, and their turnovers are not so huge that they can have separate HR departments and run businesses as a corporate body. The owner does almost everything. He's on the counter, he does the payroll and everything."
Committee member Semi Koroilavesau acknowledged the concerns, adding that similar issues have been raised by other private sector groups during consultations.
The committee members stress that the Bill is intended to protect workers from exploitation, including wage theft, particularly for workers who may be afraid to speak up.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation