National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad has clarified that they will implement the $5 minimum wage rate in phases with the adoption of a legislation after direct consultation with stakeholders.
Biman Prasad has also stated that they have never used the terms ‑ progressive or staged implementation of $5 minimum wage rate as claimed by FijiFirst General Secretary Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum.
We have also asked Prasad whether he is giving people details in NFP’s campaign meetings about phased implementation of the $5 minimum wage rate as Prasad had said in the Hindustani language in Tabia, Labasa that they will implement the $5 minimum wage rate and there was no talk about phased implementation.
Prasad says his explanation in Hindustani was not different and is almost the same thing as articulated.
Meanwhile, Fiji First General Secretary and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum has challenged businesspeople in the National Federation Party to start paying their workers $5 an hour.
Sayed‑Khaiyum stated this in a campaign meeting in Sakoca.
Sayed‑Khaiyum has questioned whether businesspeople in the NFP are paying their workers $5 an hour.
He says none of them will do this.
In response, NFP’s Leader Biman Prasad says there is a clear sign of desperation on the part of Sayed‑Khaiyum because he as the Attorney General, as a lawyer and someone in the government should know that there is no legislation now for businesses including those businesses who are in the NFP to implement a national minimum wage rate of $5.
He says it is a complete disrespect to the intelligence of the people in country where Sayed‑Khaiyum hounds the business persons who are candidates in NFP to challenge them to discredit the $5 policy of the NFP.
