Ministry has commenced work on the minimum wage rate review – Singh

Minister for Employment Agni Deo Singh says the Ministry has commenced work on the review of the minimum wage rates, and there are systems and processes involved and structures in place to facilitate this important work.

Responding to comments raised by the Unity Fiji Party Leader, Savenaca Narube and the Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry in the media, Singh says since the coalition government took office, the work to review the National Minimum Wage and the ten sectoral wage regulations has been part of their commitment from day one.

He says they have constituted the Employment Relations Advisory Board (ERAB) in its proper form at the beginning of the year and facilitated the labour law review to restore the provision of the ERA 2007 to reinstate workers’ rights.

He adds this has been completed and is currently being vetted by the Office of the Solicitor General.

The Minister says the Government is now in the process of reinstating the 10 Wages Councils which were removed by the FijiFirst Government as these councils are subcommittees of the ERAB and will determine the sectoral minimum wages.

Singh says the work on the minimum wage review is now in progress, and the ERAB will determine this with the assistance of a professional consultant in close consultation with the Ministry of Finance.

He says as part of governance, wider consultations will be done with stakeholders nationwide on the review.

Singh adds the Ministry has been reporting on the progress in all the above work carried out through Parliamentary proceedings and the media.

He says the two-party leaders have either not been following parliamentary proceedings, as well as, the media statements by the Ministry, or they are deliberately pretending to be ignorant.

Singh further reiterated that the coalition government will continue to work towards meeting the interest of the people and collectively what is best for the nation as a whole.

In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said, as promised in the budget, they will review the minimum wages, and people can expect some decisions in the next few months.