Since 2021, the Ministry of Employment has received 165 labor complaints from migrant workers, with 159 of these cases resolved. Currently, two complaints are under investigation, and four are pending with the Employment Relations Tribunal.
Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Workplace Relations, Agni Deo Singh, addressed this matter in Parliament, responding to an inquiry from Kalaveti Ravu regarding the working conditions of foreign workers in Fiji.
Mr. Singh reported that the Ministry successfully recovered $154,337.34 in unpaid wages for migrant workers. The Government is also conducting a review aimed at expanding the coverage of foreign or migrant workers, particularly seafarers.
He noted that the Government is collaborating with the International Organization for Migration to develop a national labor mobility policy framework and strategy. Additionally, a review of the Immigration Act is underway to enhance the work permit process, with a commitment to ensuring fair and sustainable labor practices.
The Minister mentioned that the Ministry has received feedback from employers expressing concerns that the skill levels of workers do not align with the qualifications provided by recruiting agents.
“Employers are dissatisfied because the expected skills are not present in the workers,” Mr. Singh stated. “When they reassign these workers, complaints arise over the lower wages they receive.” Some cases have escalated to the Human Rights Commission and are being addressed by the Ministry in conjunction with the agents to verify the authenticity of the certificates presented by workers.
Mr. Singh emphasized that such complaints are promptly dealt with by the Ministry.