Media Release
13 May 2009

Fiji should reinstate sacked teacher unionist

TEU president Tom Ryan says the Fijian government should reinstate sacked teacher, Tevita Koroi.

Fijian Teachers’ Association President, Mr. Tevita Koroi, was dismissed last week from his position as principal of Nasinu Secondary School. Mr. Koroi was suspended from his school in December 2008, after his comments at the launch of Movement for Democracy in Fiji (MD Fiji). In his comments Mr. Koroi said it was two years since the December coup and it was time that Fiji returned to democracy and parliamentary rule. He also said that the interim government must take the country to free and fair elections as soon as possible.

“The Fijian government is punishing a dedicated school principal for fulfilling his role as an elected trade union leader. That’s simply not fair - and a denial of his basic human rights,” said Dr Ryan.

“The decision was harsh and inconsistent. The current non-existence of Fiji's High Court, Appeals Court, and Supreme Court, together with the abolition of the Public Service Appeals Board, means Mr. Koroi has no avenues to appeal the decision. We think that the government needs to step in and overturn the dismissal.”

As well as being the president of the Fijian Teachers Association, Mr. Koroi is president of the Council of Pacific Education (COPE), which is a regional organisation of education unions from the South Pacific region, including New Zealand education unions NZEI Te Riu Roa, PPTA, TEU and ISEA. Mr Koroi also is a well known Fiji rugby union administrator.

TEU members are emailing their concerns to the Fijian government at: http://www.teu.ac.nz/?p=2376

ENDS

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