Women garment workers in Fiji are no longer waiting for others to speak for them — they are negotiating for themselves.
A UnionAID project with the Fiji Trades Union Congress has brought local and migrant workers together, strengthened solidarity and built the confidence of women workers, many with limited formal education.
The results are tangible. Workers have become confident enough to raise and negotiate their own issues. The project has contributed to gains including an increase in the national minimum wage for garment workers to $5, with an increase in overtime meal allowances from $8 to $12 also planned.
The change goes beyond wages. Women who previously had little workplace power are learning that by understanding their rights and acting together they can change their conditions.
That is what UnionAID development work looks like in practice.
