The Suva High Court has ruled that Fiji's labour minister, Kenneth Zinck, acted illegally and was biased, in dealing with an industrial dispute involving public servants.
The Fiji Public Service Association, the Fiji Teachers Union and the Fiji Nurses Association took the labour ministry to court, after Mr Zinck referred their 2003 Cost of Living Adjustment claim to compulsory arbitration.
Justice Devendra Pathik ruled that by referring the matter to compulsory arbitration before all steps had been exhausted, the unions had been deprived of their right to go on strike.
Justice Pathik said evidence showed that Mr Zinck was engaged in a war of words with union officials and was motivated by ill-will in his actions.
He has ordered the labour minister to deal with the dispute within a week.
Mr Zinck says he'll comply with the ruling.
The chairman of the Confederation of Public Sector Unions, Rajeshwar Singh, says the judgment is great news because it restores the constitutional right of more than 18-thousand public servants to take strike action if necessary.
