Articles by Ny Vann,Shania Shayal Prasad

Politics

Ministry denies targeted inspection claim

The Employment Ministry has hit back at claims by the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation over alleged bias in a recent inspection. It states that the accusation that labour officers targeted a company is unfounded. Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh said an internal probe confirmed the inspection was routine, lawful and part of checks at three other workplaces on the same premises. He said the employer was caught breaching the Employment Relations Act by failing to keep wage and time records and not issuing wage statements. Singh adds these are not minor errors but serious violations that demanded immediate action to protect workers’ rights. A 30-day notice has been issued for the employer to fix the breaches before a compliance review. The Minister maintains that labour officers act strictly within the law and that the ministry will back staff performing their duties. The ministry has also questioned the timing of FCEF’s allegations, saying they surfaced just as Parliament reviews the Employment Relations Amendment Bill. It states FCEF should have sought clarification directly instead of making public claims and urged continued cooperation to strengthen workplace compliance.