Companies that do not pay their employees are facing legal action, according to Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations.
Singh addressed concerns raised from complaints made by both former and current employees of a security firm in Suva. One of the individuals affected is 45-year-old Meli Tamani Tuidraki, a former security officer who lost his job after confronting the director of Pioneer Security Services, Rodney Nand, about his unpaid salary.
“All issues regarding unpaid salaries that have been brought to our attention have been forwarded to the courts,” Singh stated.
During a visit to his family home in Lami, Tuidraki expressed his frustration about waiting for payment from the security firm, which he needs to support his family. “There are six people 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 told him that Tuesday would be his last day at school because I can’t afford his bus fare.”
This marks the second occasion that Tuidraki has not received his salary on time. He recounted confronting Nand at New World Supermarket about his payment. “I’ve been employed by PSS since July last year, yet no contributions have been made to my Fiji National Provident Fund. During our confrontation, he struck my hat off, which led to a defensive reaction on my part. He then threatened to reduce my salary and terminated my employment immediately.”
Feeling hopeless, Tuidraki has lodged his grievance with the Ministry of Labour and the Fiji National Provident Fund. He mentioned that borrowing money was not feasible for him, and he would need to search for whatever food they could find for their next meal. Efforts to reach Nand at his home were unsuccessful, and calls and messages went unanswered.