Singapore’s mediation centre has praised the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations’ efforts in settling labour disputes which are in line with international standards.

Singapore Mediation Centre director George Lim recalled how he attended a seminar on mediation in Beijing and a representative from Fiji had delivered a presentation.

“He mentioned that since the mediation work started in Fiji from 2009 they had 85 per cent successful rate and 20 informal strikes were inverted,” Mr Lim said.

“Fiji being a small country was able to put mediation effectively and I pay great tribute to the ministry.”

Mr Lim said this during the mediation training managing conflicts and resolving disputes effectively through mediation and mediators accreditation assessment.

The workshop is in association with the Singapore organisation, which the ministry has had an ongoing partnership with since 2009. The minster Jone Usamate said he was impressed with the partnership with Singapore.

“The settlements of grievances and disputes currently averages around 80 per cent settlement rate for the last four years,” Mr Usamate said.

“This is comparable to global best practices and so I want to acknowledge the hard work of the mediation team and the remarkable outcome they have achieved.

“I had successfully completed this training when I was in this ministry before and I would like to thank the Singapore Mediation Centre director George Lim for his immense contribution to the ministry from 2009 to 2014 and again this year.

“This training provides opportunities for participants to gain a deeper understanding of how mediation works and to building valuable skills in resolving differences in order to reduce stress and conflict in the workplace.”

The Fiji Mediation Services is free of charge.

The two-day training is being held at the Holiday Inn Suva. It also has a one-day assessment.