A report from officials of the Ministry of Employment has revealed gruesome details of the condition of the truck that transports Ram Sami and Sons farm labourers from Hansons Supermarket at Makoi in Nasinu to the Tovata layer farm.
The officials visited the farm after The Fiji Times asked the ministry if it was aware of the condition of the truck that Ram Sami and Sons sends to pick up and drop off its employees before and after shifts.
The workers told officials that chicken guts, rubbish, chicken manure, chemicals and maggots usually greet them when they board the truck, and along with it came the bad stench that one normally associated with a truck whose sole purpose was to carry chicken and farm materials.
With no windows, except doors on the rear and left side of its carriage, the truck is without proper ventilation and exit points, and this could prove fatal in the case of an accident.
Carrying about 20 workers on every trip, the truck usually leave from behind Hanson’s Supermarket between 6.30am and 7.30am.
About four trips are made every morning.
The report said for the past week, afternoon drop-offs were not done and the workers had to walk from the farm to Hansons Supermarket.
The labourers said over the years they had raised their grievances with the company’s human resources manager Rohit Chetty, but the transportation issue had not been addressed.
However, Mr Chetty told the officials he was not aware of the issues and that this was the first time he had heard of them.
Ram Sami and Sons has been given a penalty fine of $5000 and has up to seven working days to pay up.
Also, a prohibition notice has been issued to stop the truck from transporting workers.
The report said officials would visit the site again to ensure corrective actions are taken to rectify the issues.
Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh told The Fiji Times the ministry would raise the issue with police and the Land Transport Authority “to ensure that they are able to monitor and stop any repeat of such”.
“It’s an illegal and unsafe practice by a multimillion-dollar company,” he said.
Responding to questions, LTA acting CEO Irimaia Rokosawa said they were concerned about the incident and acknowledged the seriousness of the workers’ concerns.
“Our team is currently looking into the issue to verify the allegations, which bring to light notable concerns about the health and safety risks (OHS) of passengers, drivers and other road users, compliance and standards, among other possible infringements the team will analyse and verify,” Mr Rokosawa said.
He said the LTA would continue to strongly encourage and urge individuals and companies to adhere and comply with road safety regulations.
