Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Minister Agni Deo Singh has told business leaders in Nadi that Fiji’s labour market remains “filled with ample opportunities” for local workers, even as unskilled roles increasingly include foreign labourers. Speaking at the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Symposium at the Tanoa Sky Lodge Hotel last Friday, Singh sought to reassure employers and jobseekers that jobs are available for those willing to step forward.
Singh acknowledged, however, that the growing number of foreign workers in unskilled sectors presents a pressing challenge for immigration authorities. “People need to work but we are still getting workers from abroad,” he said, adding that “the immigration department has a big challenge.” He did not give specific figures for migrant arrivals at the symposium, but framed the situation as an operational and regulatory issue his ministry is monitoring closely.
On enforcement and standards, Singh said about 90 percent of employers are fully compliant with workplace regulations — a figure he presented as evidence that the vast majority of workplaces meet minimum legal requirements. “We work together to make sure that the minimum standards are compliant,” he told the symposium, emphasising cooperation between agencies and employers to protect workplace integrity.
Singh also warned that a small minority of employers continue to mistreat staff, including migrant workers, and said his ministry remains vigilant. “There are that small number that are not and there are occasions where we are very much saddened with the treatment that some of our workers, migrant workers, are given by some employers,” he said, without naming any specific cases or companies. He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to protecting both local and migrant workers under Fiji law and to pursuing non-compliant employers.
The minister’s remarks come against broader economic signals that point to rising demand for labour. Tourism officials have recently spoken of expanding visitor numbers and new investment in accommodation capacity — trends that typically raise demand for unskilled and semi-skilled workers in hospitality, transport and related services. That context helps explain the pressure on immigration and recruitment systems Singh referenced, even as he maintained the domestic labour market remains robust.
For Nadi’s business community — a hub for tourism and transport — Singh’s comments are a latest development intended to calm concerns about job security for locals while signalling continued enforcement of workplace standards. The ministry’s next practical steps on immigration controls, employer inspections or targeted enforcement were not detailed at the symposium; those actions will be watched closely by employers, unions and migrant advocacy groups as the labour market adjusts to seasonal and structural shifts in demand.