The Fiji Meat Industry Board was ordered on Monday to pay $14,400 as compensation to the Labour Officer on behalf of the dependants of the board is late chief executive officer, Nacanieli Yalimaitoga.

Fiji Meat Industry Board was ordered to pay the amount within 28 days, by the Employment Relations Tribunal.

The applicant Labour Officer stated that Mr Yalimaitoga passed away while on annual leave.

In accordance with the medical opinion provided by the Medical Assessor for the Labour Officer, the cause of his death was a result of cardio-pulmonary arrest, with an underlying cause being attributed to the fact that the deceased was an uncontrolled hypertensive.

It was claimed that the pathophysiology of work stress, gave rise to uncontrolled hypertension, which led to congestive cardiac failure and cardio respiratory arrest which support the finding that the death was work related.

Fiji Meat submitted that Mr Yalimaitoga had only started work with them on July 1, 2009, some 18 months prior to his death.

They contended that, “there was no accident at work that caused the death of (the worker), but rather he died from natural causes while on leave.”

In his decision, Magistrate Andrew See said the tribunal was of the view that a connection had been established through the doctor’s evidence and the evidence of the Human Resource Officer for Fiji Meat Industry Board.

However, Magistrate See said the tribunal was not of the view that the case was strong enough to justify the maximum statutory compensation available under the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1964.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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