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Fiji’s employers have been informed by the Ministry of Labour that they are not obliged to pay their workers for the two days that they stayed at home this week following a curfew imposed because of Cyclone Tomas.
The ministry’s director of labour and compliance Sadrugu Ramagimagi provided the Fiji Employers Federation with the clarification today, at the Federation’s request.
Ramagimagi told FijiLive that under Fiji’s employment laws, employers are not required to pay in case of natural disasters described as an “act of God”.
“Occurrence of things beyond our control leads to employers not being able to provide employment, eventually resulting in no pay being given out,” he said.
Ramagimagi said the government’s announcement that next Monday’s National Youth Day public holiday would now be a normal working day was sufficient to make up for the days people had lost and therefore workers should not be complaining.
He said it was obvious that people cannot work when there is a natural disaster because they would have to choose between work and their safety.
Ramagimagi agreed that workers would not be happy with the decision but he said this was not the first time such a step has been taken.
“Previously when the nation had stopped working in case of an act by God, no pay was given,” he said.
Ramagimagi added that in normal circumstances, employers had to provide work and pay but not when it was impossible for them to provide work to employees with a curfew imposed.
“There is no obligation to pay unless there are existing contractual agreements to pay,” Ramagimagi said.
