A fijian worker who received an insurance payment of $A200,000 ($F301,056) is the first insurance compensation ever issued under the PALM scheme.
The Government has described the payout to Mosese Soqeta Saresarevata as a historic milestone for Fijian workers under the scheme.
The payout was delivered by Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations permanent secretary Maritino Nemani and Regional Workforce Management CEO Brad Scagrott following Mr Saresarevata’s early decision to sign up for a life insurance scheme that cost just $6 per week.
The Government said Mr Saresarevata’s “simple but powerful choice” of signing up for a life insurance scheme was not for himself “but for the family he loved”.
Soon after his deployment to Victoria, Australia earlier this year to work in the meatworks industry, Mr Saresarevata was diagnosed with a serious illness that was later confirmed as terminal.
The Government said his decision “became a lifeline, ensuring his family would not face financial hardship during the most difficult time of their lives”.
Mr Nemani said Mr Saresarevata’s story reflected “courage, foresight and love, showing how a small sacrifice can create life-changing security for loved ones”.
The Government said the payout “highlights the importance of the PALM insurance initiative, created to provide dignity, protection and peace of mind for Fijian workers overseas because sometimes the smallest contribution leaves the biggest impact”.
