UnionAID has partnered with the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) to support workers in Fiji’s poultry sector, where challenging conditions and worker exploitation demand urgent action.
The challenge
Across Fiji’s poultry industry, workers face serious workplace issues including unsafe conditions and basic rights violations. Recent incidents, including workers being transported in unsafe conditions, highlight the urgent need for collective representation. Migrant workers from Bangladesh and the Philippines are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
Building worker power
This strategic organising project aims to:
- Support workers to form strong unions across the poultry sector
- Secure collective agreements that protect both local and migrant workers
- Ensure safe and healthy working conditions
- Challenge modern slavery practices
- Establish proper grievance procedures
- Build solidarity between local and migrant workers
Why this matters
Fiji’s poultry sector supplies major hotels and exports to Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations. When workers in these supply chains lack collective representation, it enables exploitation and undermines labour standards across the region. By supporting workers to organise, we can help transform precarious jobs into decent work with dignity.
The partnership project
Working with FTUC and local unions including the National Union of Factory and Commercial Workers Union, the project will:
- Run targeted education programmes on workers’ rights
- Support workplace leaders to organise their colleagues
- Negotiate with employers for better conditions
- Challenge unsafe practices through media campaigns
- Provide specialised support for migrant workers, women, and LGBTQI+ workers
