Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh told Parliament on Friday that the Government is strengthening enforcement, policy, and coordination to better protect migrant and foreign workers in Fiji.
Singh said his ministry continues to take a “pro-active enforcement” approach, with mechanisms in place to address complaints from all workers, including migrants.
“Since 2021, the Ministry has received over 270 labour complaints from migrant workers. A vast majority of these cases have been successfully resolved, demonstrating our commitment to timely and effective justice,” he said.
He added that the ministry has a proven track record of recovering unpaid wages for vulnerable workers.
“We have recovered a total of $118,426.40 for migrant workers. As I alluded to yesterday, local recoveries in the last five years have been more than $6 million — more than a million dollars a year. Short-changing workers is a matter that warrants zero tolerance.”
Singh said the Government is undertaking key legislative reviews to strengthen protections for migrant workers, including the Employment Relations Act 2007.
“We are reviewing the Employment Relations Act to explicitly include and strengthen protections for foreign and migrant workers, with a particular focus on seafarers. Labour inspectors will be able to enter workplaces while they are in operation. We have noted breaches in OHS mostly occur during night shifts.”
He said the Ministry of Immigration is also reviewing the Immigration Act 2003 to improve work-permit processes and support fair recruitment.
The Minister highlighted ongoing collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and other partners to develop Fiji’s National Labour Mobility Policy and Strategy.
Singh noted that national migration and governance meetings held this month were critical steps toward building enforceable protections.
“These meetings were not just discussions — they were critical steps to turn policy intentions into enforceable national strategy,” he said.
He stressed that the review of key legislation and the development of the National Labour Mobility Policy are part of a broader, coordinated effort.
“Protecting migrant workers requires coordination across ministries — immigration, police, and others.”
He said the Inter-Agency Steering Committee’s recent meeting was specifically convened to ensure government agencies remain aligned as Fiji strengthens its labour mobility and migrant-worker protection frameworks.
