The Employment Ministry has received one hundred and seventy complaints against employers who have failed to pay their workers the new national minimum wage rate and have not complied with the wage regulation order.

The new rate came into effect in September.

Employment Minister Jone Usamate says the one hundred and seventy complaints include issues of pay rate, holiday pays and sick leaves.

“The national Minimum wage rate that we have we have received about 18 cases, there have been 18 reports and there have also been 152 cases for the wage regulation orders, these are the minimum wages in the different sectors, so there’s about 170 cases altogether.”

Usamate says the companies involved are being dealt with.

The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation President Nezbitt Hazelman is also calling on employers to adhere to the law.

“The new minimum wage of $2.68 cents is now law and we would like to urge all our members who out there are employing people to abide by the laws, and this includes those who hire home helps, who hire people to look after your gardens , those in the informal sector, I think it cuts across all aspects of employment.”

The Ministry warns employers need to self-regulate and comply with the new national minimum wage rate and the wage regulation orders.