THE security service business has been accused of being among “the worst” violators of employment laws in Fiji and calls have been made for authorities to tighten up on screening operators.
The call was made at last week’s public consultation of the Employment Relations (Amendment) Bill and Work Care Bill in Nausori, in which a retired security officer that worked for what he described is a local “billion dollar company that employs its own security”, said he was asked by the company to produce a death certificate when he applied for bereavement leave to attend a close friend’s funeral.
He also claimed security officers where he worked were not properly compensated for overtime claims and were victims of other breaches.
Fiji Trades Union Congress general secretary Felix Anthony, who was also attending the consultation session, said complaints regarding security employment had been a recurring issue brought up at the nationwide consultation, which began on January 8.
“Security companies is probably one of the worst in terms of violations of labour laws in this country, especially with wage theft, where they don’t pay workers the proper rates of pay, the overtime, the meal allowances and other benefits that workers are entitled to, including, as you say, bereavement leaves,” Mr Anthony said.
“There’s millions of dollars of claims against security companies in court currently. Unfortunately this takes a lot of time.”
He called for better scrutiny in the licensing of operators.
“I think it is time that the Ministry of Labour coordinates with the licensing authorities for security companies to ensure that they comply with the law before licenses are renewed.
“I think it’s very important because we have these fly-by-night security companies that come, operate and then disappear without paying workers their dues.
“Not only that, but lowering the standards for the good companies within the industry that want to pay by the law. So I hope the ministry will look at this and more importantly revise licensing provisions to make sure that licenses are only issued to those companies that comply with the law,” Mr Anthony said.
