On 1 May 2019, Felix Anthony the secretary general of FTUC, 29 members of National Union of Workers (NUW) were arrested after a meeting with the Minister for Labour, government officials, employers and a representative of the International Labour Organisation. The arrests came ahead of the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank, which Fiji hosted from 1 to 5 May. Unions were planning a national protest to coincide with the summit. The demonstrations were planned to bring to the spotlight a number of issues, including the minimum wage, labor law reforms, and the right to strike, as well as a major dispute at the Water Authority of Fiji which has seen hundreds of workers laid off amidst a rise in temporary work. After 48 hours, Felix Anthony was released. The arrested workers were released on bail after surrendering their passports and being charged with unlawful assembly. The Fijian authorities raided the office of the FTUC, seizing computers and files. Unidentified cars maintained a presence outside the office in an attempt to intimidate.