‘Pay them right’

as they do to foreign workers.

“We see that discrimination in every workplace.

“People coming from abroad to work here are getting high paid salaries, but they never do the same to our workers.”

As Fiji grapples with the threat of a talent drain, Mr Anthony’s impassioned plea resonates as a cry for change, urging stakeholders to usher in an era of fair compensation and dignified labour practices in the country.

On Friday, Acting Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS), Salote Panapasa, said among the increasing number of teachers, nurses and police officers migrating to New Zealand were the officers from FCS. She revealed the turnover rate for resignation of corrections officers was quite high this year.

Officers migrating to New Zealand are often paid three times more than what they are offered here.

“We have submitted our job evaluation exercise, and it has been passed in the Cabinet,” Ms Panapasa said. “Now, we are just waiting to hear what the outcome is.”

Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga, during his tour of the Lautoka Corrections facility last year, had said corrections officers had not received a pay raise for the past 10 years and were among the poorly paid.

It is the same for teachers, nurses and other skilled and unskilled labourers who have left the country.

FCEF

Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation research officer Savenaca Baro, in his presentation during the Employment Relations Forum, said businesses must accept the trend that workers were no longer interested to work here.

“They always have the option to move overseas, and we can’t stop people from moving abroad,” Mr Baro said.

“The only solution is to provide them work benefits and a better environment to work.

“The global trends are there, and businesses should expect changes in the business landscape.

“That is why more and more skilled people are opting to move abroad.”