The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment has commended close to 600 employers around Fiji for implementing the national minimum wage (NMW) of $2 per hour.
Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations & Employment Jone Usamate said, Labour inspectors visited these employer between the months of March and April and did not find any case of employers paying below the minimum wage rate.
Mr Usamate said this is a significant achievement for the current Fijian Government as it is a first time ever for Fiji to enact such a legislation.
“My ministry has recorded that majority of workplaces inspected for the informal sectors have been paying above the national minimum wage rate and I sincerely thanked those employers for their cooperation in ensuring social justice through providing decent wages to its workers,” Mr Usamate said.
“During these inspections, we found out that a number of employers are not issuing pay slips, and this is a concern. Where necessary spot fines have been imposed to ensure that the rights of workers are looked after,” he added.
The Minister highlighted that those employers who breach the labour law will be penalized.
“This has resulted in the issuance of a total of 24 on-the-spot fines of $100 each to 24 employers which amounted to a total of $2,400 in fines.”
Mr Usamate highlighted that a total of 50 cases on unfair dismissal in the NMW sector have been received by the ministry for 34 male and 16 female workers within the first two months of the NMW implementation.
The Minister urges all employers to comply with the provisions of the labour law and to ensure that all workers are treated fairly.
At the same time, Mr Usamate urged all workers to give their best to their employers in terms of their skills, time, effort and loyalty.
“Fiji will perform at its best when all employers provide what the law says should be provided for their workers, and when workers give of their best for their employers. My Ministry wants to see that we have decent and productive work in Fiji. We want a Fiji where workers are looked after, and in which all workplaces are as productive as possible,” Mr Usamate said.
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