Essential National Industries (Employment) Decree 2011

The Essential National Industries (Employment) Decree 2011 is a controversial decree issued by the military-led 'interim government' of the Republic of Fiji in September 2011. It was followed a few days later by the Essential National Industries and Designated Corporations Regulations 2011.

On 5 December 2006, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, head of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, overthrew democratically elected indigenous nationalist conservative Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, and took his place at the head of an "interim government," composed of both civilian and military ministers. Bainimarama stated that his main reasons for overthrowing the Qarase government were that it was corrupt, and that it was conducting racially discriminatory policies against the country's Indo-Fijian minority - namely its policy of "affirmative action" in favour of the indigenous majority. In a speech publicly announcing the coup, he stated that Qarase's policies had "divided the nation now and will have very serious consequences to our future generations." He promised to amend the race-based electoral rolls, so as to "lead us into peace and prosperity and mend the ever widening racial divide that currently besets our multicultural nation".

Subsequently, his government abolished the Constitution and imposed strict censorship of the media.

For several months, there had been considerable concern, expressed particularly by foreign trades union organisations, about restrictions on the rights of unions in Fiji, including acts of violence against unionists.

In February 2011, Amnesty International expressed concern about "the reported detention and beating of several trade unionists" in Fiji.

In March, the Trades Union Congress in the United Kingdom sent a protest to the Fiji High Commission in London, and issued the following statement:

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