Companies that neglect to pay wages have faced legal action, according to Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations. The minister’s comments came in response to complaints from former and current employees of a security firm in Suva.
Meli Tamani Tuidraki, a 45-year-old ex-security officer, lost his job recently after confronting the director of Pioneer Security Services, Rodney Nand, about his unpaid salary. Tuidraki expressed his frustration over the delayed payment during a visit to his family in Lami.
“I’m still waiting for the security company to send my payment so I can support my family,” Tuidraki remarked. He noted the struggle of providing for his six family members: “On Tuesday, I cooked the last pot of rice and eggs for my son to take to school. I told him that it was the last time he would be able to go because I couldn’t afford the bus fare.”
This marks the second instance where Tuidraki has experienced delays in receiving his salary. He confronted Mr. Nand at a supermarket about the situation, explaining, “I’ve been working for PSS since July last year, and yet no contributions have been made to my Fiji National Provident Fund. He lashed out at me, and in self-defense, I reacted. He threatened to reduce my pay and fired me immediately.”
Feeling desperate and emotional, Tuidraki reported his grievances to the Ministry of Labour and FNPF, as well as reaching out to this media outlet for assistance. With no prospect of borrowing money, he indicated that he would have to search for scraps to feed his family. Efforts to reach Mr. Nand for comment were unsuccessful.