The military government of Fiji has engaged in an all-out assault on trade unionism this year, by force and by decree, and it is getting worse by the day. Just this week, union officials were detained, questioned and charged with “unlawful assembly” by police simply for meeting with union members to prepare for collective bargaining negotiations. “This is completely unacceptable. Any and all charges must be dropped”, said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary. Earlier this year, several trade union leaders were brutally beaten by members of the armed forces for exercising their fundamental trade union rights.