While opening the Fiji Teachers Union (FTU) 93rd annual conference and annual general meeting yesterday, Agni Deo Singh requested teachers not to worry.

The Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations told the gathering at the Labasa Sangam College that when Government changed, people got worried asking questions such as: “What would happen and what if some benefits would be taken away?”

“When governments change, the new government’s job is to continue with the good initiatives the previous government initiated and that is what we are doing,” Mr Singh said.

“Also to see how further improvement can be done by reviewing it to make it better and at the same time examine those that are not so good and make changes.”

He said leadership was about being a good listener, being compassionate, caring for the people and removing the ‘ism’ such as favouritism and nepotism.

He said they wanted to make sure that justice was done to everyone and no one was left behind.

“There are a lot of things to be done, but there is a big lack of resources, the key resource here is where the money is. There has been a lot of wastage in the past and we are cutting all those wastage as advised by the Finance Minister,” he said.

Mr Singh is hopeful that when the National Budget is announced, some issues can be addressed.

He said not all issues would be addressed by the Coalition Government in the first year.

“This Government is about inclusivity, involving the people to make decisions, bringing all of us together and democratisation.”

“And unions are again going to be involved according to the announcement by the Minister of Education himself,” he said.

Story by: Shratika Naidu – shratikan@fijisun.com.fj