The new national minimum wage of $2.68 will come into effect from this Saturday.
Minister for Employment Jone Usamate has stressed that employers must act immediately and ensure that their workers receive their lawful entitlements from the first pay period after 30 September.
While speaking to the Savusavu Chamber of Commerce, Usamate says all employers are aware of the new increase.
He says the national minimum wage is for unskilled workers and is also to accommodate the needs of Small and Micro Enterprises.
He says that the increase is a way that lowest paid workers gets some form of increase and also that the Small and Micro Enterprises can afford to pay their workers.
Usamate adds that increasing the national minimum wage too high can destroy the Small and Micro Enterprises and can also affect inflation.
