Companies that neglect to pay employee wages have been taken to court, according to Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations. Singh made this statement while addressing inquiries about complaints from both current and former staff of a security firm based in Suva.
One such individual, Meli Tamani Tuidraki, a 45-year-old ex-security officer, lost his job after confronting the director of Pioneer Security Services, Rodney Nand, about his unpaid salary. Tuidraki expressed his frustration at still waiting for payment, which is critical for supporting his family.
“I have six family members who rely on me,” Tuidraki shared. “On Tuesday, I had to prepare the last meal of rice and eggs for my son, informing him that he might not be able to attend school anymore due to a lack of bus fare.”
This marks the second occasion Tuidraki has not received his salary on time. “I confronted Mr. Nand at the New World Supermarket regarding my pay,” he recounted. “Since I began working for PSS in July of last year, no contributions have been made to my Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF). He responded by attacking me, leading to him terminating my employment.”
Feeling desperate, Tuidraki has filed grievances with the Ministry of Labour and FNPF as well as local media. He mentioned that borrowing money was not an option and that he and his family would need to search for whatever food they could find. Attempts to contact Nand at his home were unsuccessful, and he did not respond to calls or messages.