The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations & Employment in conjunction with the Singapore Mediation Center [SMC] will be concluding final module in mediation skills training and accreditation from Monday 11th to Thursday 14th November 2013, at the Holiday Inn, Suva.
The Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations & Employment Mr. Jone Usamate highlighted that the purpose of this training is to enhance the capabilities of the ministry’s inspectorate staff and to effectively conduct conflict resolution in labour disputes.
Mr. Usamate said that the training will be coordinated by Mr. George Lim, and Mr. Tat Lim who are professional instructors from SMC.
“Both the instructors have in-depth knowledge and extensive practicing experience in mediation both locally and at international level and are highly qualified.” he said.
“The result of the SMC’s high quality level of training and transferring of potential skills in the past years to the Ministry has attributed to the high settlement rate of dispute resolution to 86% by the Ministry’s Mediation Unit, within the first 10 months this year.”
“This has far exceeds 75 percent against the international standard of dispute settlement in the Asian Pacific region.” he adds.
He also commented ‘that the Mediation Unit had also recovered and paid out $858,895.30 to the complainants including 29 workers who were reinstated in their former positions.
“The training will involve 24 Officers of which 12 officers will proceed to final phase of training to qualify for Accreditation as a Mediator, while 12 new officers will undertake first module training.”
“The training is structured on three modules that involve hands-on, experiential learning with the mix of theory and practical application of mediation process through simulation exercises.”
He adds that this training will include video-taped assessment of their ability to apply the mediation skills gained over the last two modules and will be subsequently assessed by the SMC. The successful participants from this training program will be accredited as Mediators to join the existing penal of Ministry’s Mediators.
This four days Mediation training program will be officially opened by the President of the Fiji Court of Appeal, Hon. Mr. Justice William Calanchini.
-ENDS-