Companies that fail to pay their employees are being taken to court, according to Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations. This statement came in response to inquiries regarding grievances filed by both current and former staff of a security firm based in Suva.
One such case involves Meli Tamani Tuidraki, a 45-year-old ex-security officer who lost his job after confronting the director of Pioneer Security Services, Rodney Nand, over his delayed salary. Tuidraki expressed his frustrations while visiting his family in Lami, highlighting the financial strain on his household.
“I have six family members who rely on me every day. On Tuesday, I prepared the last meal of rice and eggs for my son to take to school. I had to tell him that it would be the last time he attended school because I could not afford his bus fare,” he said. This incident marks the second occasion his salary has been paid late.
He recounted an encounter with Nand at a supermarket where he demanded his wages, which had not been deposited since he started working for the company in July of the previous year. Tuidraki claims that Nand reacted violently, slapping his hat off his head, leading to a defensive response from him. Tuidraki alleges Nand threatened to cut his pay and terminated his employment immediately.
In a state of distress, Tuidraki has lodged formal complaints with the Ministry of Labour and the Fiji National Provident Fund. Without any other options, he stated he can’t afford to borrow money and is forced to search for whatever food they can find for their next meal. Attempts to contact Nand were unsuccessful as he was not at home and did not return calls or messages.