National secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress, Felix Anthony, has condemned the exploitation of workers in various sectors, particularly in supermarkets and security companies.
Speaking on the growing concerns about labour practices, Mr Anthony highlighted examples of workers being forced into long hours with little compensation and called for stronger laws to address wage theft and unfair treatment in the workplace.
He highlighted the practice in supermarkets where employees, often given the title of “manager,” are forced to work up to 14 or 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for a flat salary of $15,000 to $20,000.
“That’s a clear example of exploitation,” said Mr Anthony, pointing out that these workers are given a ‘fancy title’ but subjected to gruelling working conditions without the proper overtime benefits.
“They call you the manager, but you’re expected to work extended hours with no additional pay. That’s exploitation.”
He explained that many workers who earn above a certain threshold, such as those making more than $250 a week, are not covered by the wages council and are therefore denied overtime, meal allowances and other benefits.
“What employers are doing is increasing the pay by just a few dollars to push workers outside the coverage of the wages council, leaving them without the protections they deserve,” Mr Anthony added.
He also shared alarming reports from supermarket employees who have been instructed to clock off at 5pm but continue working unofficially until closing time to avoid overtime pay.
In the security sector, Mr Anthony highlighted instances of workers being forced to pay for their own uniforms and safety equipment, with no overtime pay and fines imposed for missing work.
“In one case, a security company had workers paying for uniforms and equipment, receiving no overtime payments, and facing fines of $25 if they didn’t show up for work,” he said.
“These workers are already on minimum wage, and now they’re being further exploited.”
Mr Anthony said these instances demonstrated the need for stronger labour laws to prevent such practices.
“We need laws to stop wage theft, and we need employers to respect the rights of their workers. These abuses must end,” he said.
“There’s no talk about addressing these abuses. We need real action, not empty promises.”
Source: The Fiji Times