Companies that do not fulfill their wage obligations are facing legal action, according to Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations. Singh’s comments came in response to complaints from employees, both current and former, of a security firm based in Suva.
Meli Tamani Tuidraki, a 45-year-old former security officer, reported that he was terminated from his position after confronting the director of Pioneer Security Services, Rodney Nand, over his unpaid salary. “We have referred all issues regarding unpaid salaries to the courts,” Minister Singh stated.
During a visit to his family home in Lami, Tuidraki expressed his frustration about the delay in receiving his paycheck, which is crucial for supporting his family. “I have six family members who rely on me every day. On Tuesday, I prepared the last meal of rice and eggs for my son to take to school,” he shared. “I had to tell him that would be the last time he could go to school because I couldn’t afford his bus fare.”
This marks the second instance of delayed payments for Tuidraki, who noted that he has been employed at Pioneer Security Services since July of the previous year, yet no contributions have been made to his Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF). He described an altercation with Mr. Nand at New World Supermarket where he was slapped during their confrontation, which escalated to Nand threatening to reduce his pay and firing him on the spot.
Feeling hopeless and desperate, Tuidraki filed complaints with the Ministry of Labour and the FNPF, as well as with this publication. He lamented the necessity of scavenging for food rather than borrowing money. Attempts to reach Mr. Nand were unsuccessful as he was not at home, and messages and calls went unanswered.