Companies that do not pay their employees’ wages have been taken to court, according to Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations. This statement followed inquiries about complaints from both former and current employees of a security firm in Suva.
Meli Tamani Tuidraki, a 45-year-old former security officer, lost his job after confronting the director of Pioneer Security Services, Rodney Nand, about his unpaid salary. Mr. Singh confirmed that all cases involving unpaid wages have been forwarded to the courts.
While visiting his family in Lami, Mr. Tuidraki voiced his frustration over not receiving payment, which he needs to support his family. “I have six dependents relying on me,” he stated, mentioning how he cooked the last meal of rice and eggs for his son to take to school. He expressed the concern that his son might not be able to attend school due to the lack of money for bus fare.
This marked the second occasion that Mr. Tuidraki had not received his salary on time. He described the confrontation with Mr. Nand at New World Supermarket, where he mentioned that despite working since July of the previous year, no contributions had yet been made to his Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF). During the altercation, Mr. Nand assaulted him, resulting in his immediate termination.
Feeling emotional and desperate, Mr. Tuidraki has reported his grievance to the Ministry of Labour and the FNPF. He lamented the choice of borrowing money, emphasizing that he might have to search for scraps to feed his family. Attempts to reach Mr. Nand were unsuccessful, as he was not home, and messages went unanswered.