Employment Minister, Jone Usamate says its concerning that a number of Fijians are being underpaid.

In a series of public consultations held across the country, Usamate says it has become evident that a number of workers are been paid less than the minimum wage of two dollars and sixty eight cents which is illegal.

“That they are a lot of people that are still been paid much less than the existing National Minimum Wage, there are a lot of people that are still been paid much less than that. And that is the concern that I have seen going around from Viti Levu to Vanua Levu even without not talking about raising the Minimum Wage to what people are saying, four, five dollars. Just the level that it is now, there’s a lot of non-compliance.”

The Minister says while there are only 10 sectorial wage councils, the minimum wage applies elsewhere for unskilled labour and no one should be making less than two dollars and sixty eight cents an hour.

He adds the focus of the Ministry will be to generate more employment, at the core of which will be decent work for all.