Majority of Fiji’s security firms are not complying with a new minimum wage set for the industry in July this year.
A recent study by the Ministry of Labour shows that security services are complying with less than five percent of the Wages Regulation Order.
According to a Government statement, the compliance rates of the new WROs by industries are as follows: Printing Trades (100%); Mining & Quarrying Industry (100%); Sawmilling & Logging Industry (100%); Wholesale & Retail Trades (95.5%); Hotel & Catering Trades (94.7%); Garment Industry (90%); (Building and Civil & Electrical Engineering Trades (85.7%); Road Transport (66.7%); Manufacturing Industry (60%); and Security Services (4.7%).
Labour Minister Filipe Bole said “with the exception of the Security Industry, the results are quite encouraging and contrary to the belief held by some that the implementation of the new WROs could not be sustained by industries and employers”.
Bole said only 122 workers have lodged complaints against employers not complying with the new WROs.
He said the ministry’s compliance service has settled 24% of these cases with a total recovery of $3,962.74 in arrears of wages.
The rest of the 93 cases (76%) are currently being processed, he said.
He said compliance with WROs by majority of the industries showed confidence in the labour market during this recovery phase of the domestic and global economy.
He said employers who honestly believe that they cannot comply with the new wage rates can ‘open up their books’ to a Panel of Accountants for verification of their claims.
“This ‘one-on-one’ process will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality,” said Bole.
BUSINESS NEWS
Security firms defy wage rule
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