Daniel Urai

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Daniel Urai
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for Lautoka City Open
In office
1 September 2001 – 5 December 2006
Preceded byHaroon Ali Shah
Succeeded byNone (Parliament disestablished)
Personal details
BornLautoka
Political partyFiji Labour Party

Daniel Urai, also known as Daniel Urai Manufolau, is a Fijian trade unionist and former politician.

Urai was President of the Fiji Trades Union Congress.[1] From 1990 to 2006, he was also involved in the leadership of the Fiji Electricity and Allied Workers Union (FEAWU).[2]

He was elected to the House of Representatives of Fiji in the Lautoka City Open Constituency in the 2001 Fijian general election.[3] As an MP he opposed the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill.[4] He was re-elected at the 2006 election.[5] He lost his seat when parliament was dissolved following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. Following the coup he continue as president of the TUC[6] and continued to serve on the board of the Fiji National Provident Fund.[7]

In August 2011 following the military regime's promulgation of a decree which banned strikes, he was arrested for unlawful assembly after holding a union meeting.[8][9] In October 2011 he was detained by the military regime while returning from a Commonwealth meeting.[10] He was subsequently charged with sedition over a supposed coup plot against dictator Frank Bainimarama.[11] The charges were eventually withdrawn in 2015.[12]

In January 2014 he was arrested for organising a strike at the Sheraton Fiji.[13] The charge were later dropped.[14]

In 2012 following a break with the Fiji Labour party,[15] Urai joined other unionists in forming the People's Democratic Party.[16] He planned to stand as a candidate for the party at the 2014 Fijian general election,[17] and resigned his position as president of the National Union of Hospitality, Catering and Tourism Industries in order to comply with a regime decree banning union leaders from being political candidates.[18][19] However, his candidacy was disallowed by the military regime.[20]

At the 2018 election he was accepted as a candidate for the Social Democratic Liberal Party,[21] but was not elected to Parliament.

He was selected as a candidate for the People's Alliance at the 2022 election,[22] but his candidacy was again rejected by the Electoral Office.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Tension grows between Fiji labour minister and FTUC". RNZ. 23 May 2003. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Fiji electricity workers agree to call off planned strike". RNZ. 8 September 2005. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  3. ^ "REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS: PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 25 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2001". Psephos. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Fiji opposition MPs contest Qarase reconciliation bill". RNZ. 18 May 2005. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  5. ^ "REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS: PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 6 MAY 2006". Psephos. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Fiji public service threatens resistance to proposed pay cuts". RNZ. 5 February 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  7. ^ "FTUC justifies board positions under interim regime". RNZ. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Urai charged with unlawful assembly". Fiji Sun. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Fiji trade unions say movement set back 80 years by new decree". RNZ. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  10. ^ Michael Field (30 October 2011). "Claim union leader arrested in Fiji". Stuff. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  11. ^ Michael Field (8 November 2011). "Fiji trade unionist on sedition charge". Stuff. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  12. ^ Farisha Ahmed (8 October 2015). "Urai, Karunaratne Freed". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Sheraton strikers appear in Fiji court". RNZ. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Charges against Fiji unionists to be dropped". RNZ. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Fiji Trades Union Congress condemns Fiji Labour Party practices". RNZ. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Fiji trade union leaders say need for new voice prompted new political party". RNZ. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Prominent Fiji unionists plan to stand for election". RNZ. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  18. ^ "Urai to quit union job for Fiji election". RNZ. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  19. ^ "Urai resigns for polls". Fiji Times. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  20. ^ "A-G in, Urai out". Fiji Times. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  21. ^ Ashna Kumar (7 July 2018). "Vote2018: Rabuka – Dan Urai Is Poll Provisional Candidate". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  22. ^ "7 Women And 48 Men For The Peoples Alliance". Fiji Sun. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  23. ^ "Tuiteci's application denied due to a criminal conviction". FBC News. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
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