Reference no: EM133097182

LJR Frozen Food Manufacturers

The workers of this company, who belong to the Fijian Commercial, Catering, and Allied Workers' Union (SACCAWU), have finally had enough of being treated badly at their workplace. The rules and regulations of the BCEA are not being followed, and several workers have been dismissed without the proper procedure being followed. The factory supervisor, Joel, is very abusive towards the workers, and yesterday, he refused Patience, a worker in the factory, time off work to attend her sister's funeral. The workplace is dirty, and some of the machinery is unsafe. The workers also do not receive wage slips and do not know what deductions are being made. They got together after work and discussed what their next move should be. Nomsa, who is a food packer, suggested that they should call a strike. She believes that this is the last resort to get senior management to pay attention to their grievances and to change its attitude towards the workers. They have tried on many previous occasions to address their grievances with Joel, but nothing has changed. The workers called on their shop steward, Joshua, who again brought the grievances to the attention of Joel, their immediate supervisor, but nothing has happened. The workers then held a ballot during which all but one voted in favor of embarking on strike action. The shop steward, Joshua, then served a 48-hour notice on Joel that the workers were going to embark on industrial action in the form of a strike.

Questions

1. Is Nomsa's suggestion appropriate? Explain your reasons.

2. With reference to the appropriate section(s) of the ERP in this Unit in mind, and your knowledge of fro this course, decide whether the workers have the right to strike.

3. What are the steps to be followed by the workers in order to call a legal strike with reference to the Fijian labor law?

4. What can the workers do if their strike action fails to elicit any response from the management of the company?