The establishment of the national minimum wages across all sectors in the country will see a productive workforce with better pay packets.
Ministry of Labour permanent secretary, Taito Waqa said this is part of Government’s commitment under the People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress to Achieve Higher Economic Growth While Ensuring Sustainability (Pillar 5) and Reducing Poverty to a Negligible Level by 2015 (Pillar 8).
Mr Waqa said a nationwide survey and stakeholder consultations on the determination of national minimum wage would also be conducted.
“This is part of the wages reform that government is carrying out. For the first time this year, we will establish the national Minimum wage which will come into law,” Mr Waqa said.
He said that alleviating poverty is one of Government’s priorities of and the establishment of the national minimum wage order would address this issue.
“Government wants that to help alleviate poverty so that unscrupulous employers do not exploit workers. That survey is currently underway and by mid-year, we should have for the first time the National Minimum Wages for Fiji across all the sectors,” he added.
The survey is a result of the numerous complaints pertaining to employees’ wages and the employers’ views.
“This is to enable us to give a better quality service with speed to our customers, the people and in our case the workers and the employees. That is the main objective of labour reforms.
“In doing so, we have had to overhaul the old colonial policies, the laws and replace them with modern government machinery and modern ways of doing things,” the permanent secretary highlighted.
Mr Waqa also stressed that the new National Minimum Wage is expected to be implemented in the 2nd quarter of this year.
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