Fiji Labour Party

Fiji Labour Party The Fiji Labour Party was formed to defend the rights of workers, farmers and the poor. Labour has always been there for the people!

It was formally inaugurated on 6 July 1985 in Suva, has won government twice, in 1987 and 1999, and is gearing up for the 2026 elections. Fiji Labour Party was formed to protect the rights and welfare of the workers and the ordinary people. We have faithfully carried out our mission throughout the years since our formation in 1985 – Labour courageously stood by the people after the 1987, 2000 an

d 2006 coups – often the only political party doing so. We were the only political party active during the repressive era of the PER (Public Emergency Regulations 2009 onwards), our website was active at a time when the Fiji media was under rigorous censorship, we opposed the devaluation of the Fiji dollar by 20% which sent food prices soaring, we opposed the hike in VAT to 15%, we condemned the refusal/delay by the regime to award pay increases recommended by the Wages Councils for unorganised workers, we opposed the Road Levy and excesses of the LTA, we opposed human rights violations by the regime and we opposed all the draconian decrees that have deprived political parties, workers and trade unions of their rights.

Fuel hike rocks the nation!
02/06/2026

Fuel hike rocks the nation!

30/05/2026

Fiji Labour Party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, on Fiji Village Straight Talk talking about the coups and the economic and social problems Fiji faces under this current government

Cane farmers stunned by low forecast priceThe National Farmers Union calls on all cane farmers to reject the cane foreca...
29/05/2026

Cane farmers stunned by low forecast price

The National Farmers Union calls on all cane farmers to reject the cane forecast price of $57.60 pt for their 2026 crop.

"It's ridiculous to ask them to accept a delivery payment of $34.44 pt which is what they will get under the low forecast price just announced by the Fiji Sugar Corporation", said NFU general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry.

The top - up of $7.56pt, taking the delivery payment to last year's level of $42 pt, will not be enough to offset the increased costs farmers face this season in light of the prevailing economic conditions, he said.

"They will have to pay substantially more for harvesting and haulage. Their cultivation costs will also rise and must be taken into consideration when determining cane price.

" Government has ignored the Union's request for fuel duty rebate to be extended to cane lorry and harvester operators.
" In the circumstances, the best option is to amend the Sugar Industry Master Award, fixing the guaranteed minimum price of $85 pt as the forecast price until such time as a revised higher minimum guaranteed price is determined, as promised before the last general elections by the Coalition.

"This will give farmers a delivery payment of $52 pt.

"Meanwhile, every effort must be made to have a revised guaranteed price in place before the end of the crushing season.

Tribute to Ratu Sir Lala SukunaFiji as a nation today faces many uncertainties - torn by bad governance, divisive polici...
28/05/2026

Tribute to Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna

Fiji as a nation today faces many uncertainties - torn by bad governance, divisive policies and widespread hardship. It is timely to reflect on the values and policies of Rt. Sir Lala Sukuna and his commitment to the principles of nation building.

On this day, set aside to honour the extraordinary legacy of Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna – chief, soldier and statesman - the Fiji Labour Party, remembers in particular, his belief in multi-racialism and his policies on land, later adopted and pursued by Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to create a stable post independence nation.

Indeed, it is generally believed that he, in his wisdom, chose and groomed Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to succeed him to lead Fiji into independence.
Although Ratu Sukuna strongly advocated preserving the identity and culture of the indigenous people, he also acknowledged that Fiji was a multi-racial community where each component needed to be treated equally for its advancement and progress – hence the concept of the 3-legged stool.

His unwavering commitment to fairness, progress, and the welfare of all Fijians resonates deeply with the core tenets of the Fiji Labour Party.
Ratu Sukuna championed a Fiji where indigenous rights were protected, education was prioritized, and opportunities were accessible - the very ideals we continue to fight for today.
This found realisation in his Land policy in the early 1940s. Rt Sukuna believed that land that was surplus to the needs of the indigenous community should be made available to the other races – to advance our economic interests.

His vision, foresight and leadership, laid crucial foundations for modern Fiji as his land policy eventually led to the growth of the sugar industry, contributing enormously to the economic development of independent Fiji.

Ratu Sukuna’s belief in the 3-legged stool stands as relevant today as it did 80 odd years ago when Fiji was still a fledgling colonial state.

The future of our nation depends on mutual trust, cultural pride, and shared economic opportunities across all communities.

PM Rabuka slumbers as prices gallopThe Fiji Labour Party notes the Finance Minister's announcement claiming strong reve...
27/05/2026

PM Rabuka slumbers as prices gallop

The Fiji Labour Party notes the Finance Minister's announcement claiming strong revenue collections reaching $2.9 billion by the end of April.

While the tax system has performed better than expected, Fijians are right to question why this healthy position has not translated into any meaningful relief for households facing rising costs.

Fuel prices are expected to increase again in June. This was entirely predictable given global market movements. Yet the Government continues to refuse any reduction in the 20 cents per litre additional fuel tax introduced during the COVID pandemic.

With revenue performing strongly, the refusal to remove this duty looks increasingly difficult to justify, especially when ordinary families are paying more at the pump, and now in their electricity bills.

The recent 5.9 cents per unit increase in electricity tariffs will not be limited to household bills. Commercial and business rates have also risen. These additional costs will be passed on through higher prices for food, goods and services.

At the same time, logistics companies running on diesel are facing increased operating costs, which will further push up the price of everyday items on the supermarket shelves. This is how inflation quietly erodes people’s wages week after week.

The sugar industry continues to operate without any clear direction. The cane forecast price for the 2026 crop has not been so far announced.

Farmers are entering the new season without knowing what they will be paid. This lack of basic planning reflects a wider pattern of neglect in key productive sectors.

Fijians have watched prices rise steadily with little evidence of these coming back down when costs ease.

There is no effective mechanism actively monitoring price movements and forcing reductions. The Consumer Council exists but lacks real authority to act. It can observe and report, yet prices continue their upward trend with no meaningful intervention.

Despite repeated calls from the Fiji Labour Party and other critics for the need to reduce fuel duties, protect households from electricity cost increases, and strengthen price oversight, this Government has chosen not to act.

Instead, it appears more focused on highlighting revenue figures for political advantage in an election year, while ordinary people continue to absorb the full impact of higher living costs.

The reality is simple. A Government with strong revenue collections has the capacity to provide relief. This administration has decided against it.

Fijians are feeling the pressure in their daily lives — in their transport costs, their power bills and the price of food, household items and services.

They will remember who chose to stand with them and who chose to count the money instead.

Mahendra Chaudhry
Leader, Fiji Labour Party

Labour refutes fake Facebook postingLabour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry will lead the Party into the 2026/27 general electio...
26/05/2026

Labour refutes fake Facebook posting

Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry will lead the Party into the 2026/27 general elections.

The Party strongly denounces a mischievous and false Facebook Post by one ‘Rt Ilaisa Sema’ that FLP management has appointed Ben Padarath to replace him as Party leader. The post appeared on May 25.

Ben Padarath denied the claim posting a rebuttal on his page the same day.

We believe the malicious Facebook account is under a fake identity created by a major political party in government.

This fake person has targeted other rival political parties with similar claims to try and discredit them, and create confusion, in the lead up to the 2026/27 general elections.

So far, there have been around six such fake postings. One claimed that Opposition MP Rinesh Sharma has joined the Fiji Labour Party. There is no truth to this.

FLP will be filing a Police report after completing its enquiries in the matter.

People should beware of such fake postings in the lead up to the elections.

All matters pertaining to the Fiji Labour Party is announced via our official page which carries the Party symbol, the Vara. Any information dished out by anyone else regarding the FLP should be ignored.

Cane Forecast Price not yet out: growers upset The National Farmers Union has expressed concern that the Cane Forecast ...
25/05/2026

Cane Forecast Price not yet out: growers upset

The National Farmers Union has expressed concern that the Cane Forecast Price for the 2026 crushing season has still not been announced.

“It should have been out in April. We are now almost at the end of May. Cane farmers preparing for the crushing season ahead are upset at the delay,” says NFU general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry.

The Forecast Price is used to determine the Delivery Payment and is used by growers to budget for the season ahead - work out costs for harvesting such as labour, cartage to the mills and related expenses.

The Union expressed concern at a series of recent delays:

• The Third Cane Payment due at the end of March was not made until 17 April 2026

• Farmers are still waiting for the Tribunal’s ruling on FSC’s application to shut down the Lautoka-Tavua rail system. At a time of escalating fuel costs, growers have protested against the move.

• Farmers are also awaiting the delayed incentive payments of $3 per tonne for manual harvesting and $5 tonne farm incentive payment which should have been made in February. Government gave an assurance that these payments would be made at the end of May. It should be made some time this week without further delay.

• Growers are also awaiting a decision on their request for fuel rebate for the 2026 harvesting season

Meanwhile the NFU has queried the announcement made by the Sugar Industry Tribunal Registrar at a stakeholders’ consultation meeting in Ba that the much-awaited Sugar Cane Growers Council elections will be held in October.

The Union says an election in October will fall at the height of the crushing season. And has queried why the Growers Council was not consulted on the matter.

Another broken Coalition promise - Municipal elections deferred!Municipal elections earlier scheduled to be held “one Sa...
22/05/2026

Another broken Coalition promise -
Municipal elections deferred!

Municipal elections earlier scheduled to be held “one Saturday in September 2026” have now officially been deferred to after the general elections a date for which has yet to be set.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed the deferment in a statement earlier this week, saying it was being deferred to save money to finance government’s fuel crisis relief package.

The truth is, that having dawdled for the first three years of its term in office, the cash-strapped Coalition finds itself now caught by external events, ie the escalating global fuel crisis, that has placed more pressing demands on its dwindling finances.

Government is planning to divert the $18m (earlier put at $13m) budgeted for the municipal elections, to EFL to avoid its threatened power shutdowns.

One must also ask whether the Coalition was ever serious about holding the elections in the first place. There was never a firm date set for it. It was just a vague “one Saturday in September”.

This is not how the people should be treated on information about elections – it is downright insulting!

The deferment announcement came as political parties were meeting with the Electoral Commission, officials of the Ministry of Local Government and the Supervisor of Elections.

All political parties, including the three in the Coalition government had earlier called for the elections to be deferred saying it was being rushed through in the last months of the Coalition’s tenure.

Labour had also questioned the criteria used by the Minister for Local Government for determining the municipal boundaries and the number of wards allocated to each municipality.

We objected strongly to the inclusion of villages situated well outside the normal boundaries while settlements in the areas intervening and adjacent to the villages were excluded.

Labour labelled it as discriminatory, undemocratic, unconstitutional and an exercise in gerrymandering (the political manipulation of municipal boundaries to advantage the ruling party).

Another blow for ordinary Fijians as FCCC approves price increaseThe Fiji Labour Party strongly condemns the latest FCCC...
21/05/2026

Another blow for ordinary Fijians as FCCC approves price increase

The Fiji Labour Party strongly condemns the latest FCCC-approved increases — a 5.91 cents per unit rise in electricity and a 22.5% increase in bus fares.

Ordinary families are already struggling with high fuel prices and an ever rising cost of living. Now they have to pay more. For ordinary households, the electricity increase alone will add nearly $12 to a typical monthly bill.

Again, the government has simply chosen to pass the full burden onto families instead of using the tools it has to reduce the pressure.

The FCCC statement is silent on what the new commercial and business electricity rates will be. This is deliberate - they do not want to disclose the full impact on the cost of living that these price increases will have. When businesses pay more for power, their costs get passed straight down to ordinary Fijians through higher prices for goods and services.

On bus fares, the Government claims it will fully absorb the increase and compensate operators so passengers pay the same. This is not a solution to the underlying problem of high fuel costs. Besides, it neglects the minivan industry and other transport alternatives to buses. Government support should be directed across the entire economy.

We have repeatedly called on Government to:
• Reduce or suspend the 20 cents per litre fuel duty introduced during COVID
• Use the $30 million Australian fuel support grant to directly ease pressure on families
• Expand price controls and reduce VAT on further essentials

They have done none of these things.

They do not have the political will nor the financial acumen to action meaningful solutions to the current fuel situation. This is not the first time global fuel prices have unexpectedly risen.

This government has forgotten who it is supposed to serve. Ordinary Fijians are told to pay more, while the bloated Cabinet of over 33 Ministers and Assistant Ministers continue to enjoy their high salaries and perks.

The Fiji Labour Party demands immediate answers.

Where exactly is the Australian fuel support money going? Why was the fuel duty never reduced? Why did the FCCC increase fuel prices in April? And why does this government only act when the pressure becomes too great to ignore?

Fijians are tired of being treated as a low priority. This is an administration that has shown that it is unwilling to make the hard decisions needed to protect ordinary households.

This is not leadership.

The people will remember this when they go to the polls.

Mahendra Chaudhry
Leader, Fiji Labour Party

Image courtesy of FCCC

Labour says NO to 11c kWh EFL tariff surcharge EFL should stop holding the country to ransom by threatening power ration...
21/05/2026

Labour says NO to 11c kWh EFL tariff surcharge

EFL should stop holding the country to ransom by threatening power rationing while seeking a 11c surcharge on tariffs using the current global fuel crisis as a pretext, says the Fiji Labour Party.

There can be no justification for the power cuts it has proposed. A month ago it received a 4-month subsidy on fuel in the government’s $56m relief package to meet the global fuel crisis.

The subsidy comprised a 20c per litre rebate on industrial diesel oil and 12c per litre on heavy fuel to “stabilise the power grid” government had said.

“EFL is not plagued by financial ills. It has been a highly profitable company for years and enjoys a monopoly on power supply. Just last year it recorded a $7m profit.

“If the EFL Board and management don’t have the skills and the ingenuity to handle complex situations, they must step down. They have had a history of pushing for tariff increases even in highly profitable years,” said Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry.

“If the entire nation is being asked to exercise austerity. I see no reason why EFL cannot make some sacrifices like everyone else,” he said.

Intermittent power cuts are not the answer to the current situation. It will only make matters worse leading to reduced working hours/wages and harming businesses particularly the tourism industry. Its victims will be the ordinary households.

Furthermore, the 11c kWh increase EFL is pushing for, if approved, will fuel inflation across the board and create more hardship for low and middle income families.

It is also unsustainable for most households. A 11c kWh increase will push domestic electricity rates to 45c kWh from the current 34kWh - adding close to $33 to the monthly electricity bill of an average income family, according to the Consumer Council.

This at a time when the consumer is already burdened with high fuel prices and soaring costs of living.

Fiji Labour Party calls on the government to reject EFL’s proposed fuel surcharge.

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30 Varani Street
Suva

Telephone

+6793373317

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