Minimum wage rate review bid
FIJI Trades Union Congress (FTUC) general secretary Felix Anthony says they will call for a review of the minimum wage rate to be around $6 to $7 an hour.
While speaking to the media at the FTUC National Council Meeting yesterday, he said Fiji needed to move away from the mind-set of keeping minimum wages low.
“The minimum wage level in the country is too low and in fact below the poverty line,” he said.
“What we really need to adopt is a living wage in this country, we need to ensure that our workers will be able to live a respectable life and will be able to meet their commitments here in Fiji.
“What drives our people away is that the wage level in this country is too low and in fact below the poverty line and of course people will always want a better standard of living and they find that is possible by moving off to other countries.
“That is something that we seriously need to address, and I hope the Government is looking at that.”
Mr Anthony said the FTUC would certainly call for a review of the minimum wage in this country.
“Right now, we are looking at anywhere between $6 and $7 an hour that would be just slightly above the poverty line right now and that is something that we will call upon.
“Not only that, but to look at all wage rates and to push the wages up so that people would prefer to stay and work here and we retain the skills in this country.”
He said they would call on the Government of the day to look into that.
“That’s something that we will discuss today (yesterday).
“We also understand that these things don’t happen overnight, it would have to be increased gradually, employers would need to be given time to adjust to such a minimum wage and we certainly hope that we can work something out with both the employers and Government.”