The silence from unionists who have been known to venture into politics is deafening right now.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was formed by a bunch of unionists, who had a fall out from the Fiji Labour Party (FLP).

Felix Anthony, a career unionist, was their leader, but when the Party failed to secure even one seat in Parliament, he resigned and re-joined the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) as their general secretary.

In his stint as party leader of PDP, he was supported by another unionist Daniel Urai.

Mr Urai is now back in the Labour camp.

But these days with PDP joining the ranks of the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), the very same unionists are surprisingly quiet about where their politics lay.

Traditionally, unionists have fought politics based on class.

SODELPA and its predecessor SDL have been known for policies focusing on race.

The lone thing that SODELPA and PDP have in common was the claim for an increase in the minimum wage rate.

So, that begs the question- where do unionists like Rajeshwar Singh and Agni Deo Singh stand now?

The unionists had a public fall out with FLP but in a bid to remain relevant, will they rejoin Labour as Mr Urai has done or will they compromise their positions on class politics and join SODELPA in a bid to get into Parliament?

But, their flip-flop in politics does not augur well for union members who have put these people in their union jobs.

And for how long can these unionists remain silent?

Do they not have to answer to their members?

Edited by Mohammed Zulfikar

Feedback:  jyotip@fijisun.com.fj