Companies that do not pay employee wages are facing legal action, according to Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations.
Singh’s comments followed inquiries regarding complaints made by both former and current workers of a security firm in Suva. One affected individual, Meli Tamani Tuidraki, 45, a former security officer, experienced job loss after confronting the director of Pioneer Security Services, Rodney Nand, about his overdue salary.
“All reported issues of unpaid salaries have been forwarded to the courts,” Singh stated. Tuidraki, while visiting family in Lami, expressed frustration over the delay in receiving his wages, which has impacted his ability to support his family.
“I have six family members who depend on me daily. On Tuesday, I prepared our last meal of rice and eggs for my son to take to school,” Tuidraki lamented. “I told him that would be his last day at school as I could not afford his bus fare.”
This marks the second occasion where Tuidraki’s salary has been delayed. He recounted an incident on Monday where he confronted Nand at a supermarket regarding his pay. Tuidraki claimed he has been employed by Pioneer Security since July of the previous year, yet no contributions have been made to his Fiji National Provident Fund.
According to Tuidraki, Nand had physically assaulted him during their confrontation, leading to his immediate termination. An upset and desperate Tuidraki subsequently filed complaints with the Ministry of Labour and the FNPF. He noted the hopelessness of borrowing money, emphasizing the need to find scraps for their next meal. Attempts to reach Nand for comments were unsuccessful as he was not home, and messages went unanswered.