Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh has announced that companies failing to pay wages are being taken to court. This announcement came after several complaints were made by current and former employees of a security firm based in Suva.
One of the complainants, Meli Tamani Tuidraki, a 45-year-old former security officer, recently lost his job after confronting the director of Pioneer Security Services, Rodney Nand, about his unpaid salary. Mr. Singh stated that all issues of unpaid salaries reported to the ministry have been forwarded to the courts for action.
During a visit to his family home in Lami, Mr. Tuidraki expressed his frustration over the delay in receiving his salary, which is essential for supporting his family. “I have six people in my family that depend on me each day. On Tuesday, I prepared our last meal of rice and eggs for my son to take to school,” he shared, adding that he might have to stop sending his son to school due to the lack of funds for bus fare.
This is not the first occasion that Mr. Tuidraki has faced issues with timely salary payments. He recounted an incident where he confronted Mr. Nand about his pay at New World Supermarket in Raiwaqa. After working with Pioneer Security Services since July of the previous year, Mr. Tuidraki noticed that no contributions had been made to his Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF). A confrontation ensued, during which Mr. Nand allegedly assaulted him and terminated his employment immediately.
Feeling frustrated and desperate, Mr. Tuidraki submitted his grievance to the Ministry of Labour and FNPF, and he expressed that borrowing money was not a viable solution, leaving him to scavenge for food for his family. Efforts to reach Mr. Nand for comment have been unsuccessful.