Minister for Employment Jone Usamate has urged employers not to discriminate workers on employment minimum terms and conditions.
His comments comes after a worker employed with a prominent organization in the Western Division raised that the company has been remunerating low wage rates for Lautoka workers compared to workers in Suva receiving a higher wage rate despite the similar type of work been preformed.
Usamate highlighted that it is unlawful under the Employment Relations Act (ERA) 2007 to discriminate a worker and that equal employment opportunities must prevail at all times.
He says that section 78 of the ERA stated that an employer must not refuse or omit to offer or afford a person the same rates of remuneration as is made available for persons of the same or substantially similar qualifications employed in the same or substantially similar circumstances for any reason including the gender of that person.
Usamate reiterated that all workers must receive equal pay of work of equal value.
He adds that workers are not to be discriminated on the grounds of personal characteristics or circumstances including ethnic origin, color, and place of origin, gender, sexual orientation, birth, primary language, economic status, age, disability, social class, marital status, employment status, family status, opinion, religion or belief.
