Fiji: Donot split wage increase to garment workers - Wage Council

The garment industry will have to pay the wages which have been increased by 20 percent on the stipulated date and any kind of changes to this would have to go through me, said the Employment Minister, Mr. Filipe Bole.
The minister made this remark on hearing the comments of Mr. Mark Hallabe, Managing Director of Mark One Apparel, who said that, the garment industry workers will receive half of the 20 percent wage increase rate from July 1 and rest of half will be in the next six months.
He further added that the Wages Council is aware of this and the workers should be informed about it.
However, the Chairman of Wage Council, Mr. Father Kevin Bar, clarified by saying that this wage increase split for the garment industry was to be made applicable if the wage increase had been implemented in February 2009.
Mr. Bar further said that the 20 percent wage increase must come into effect from July 1 rather than splitting the same.