Millions lost to avoidable workplace disputes: Ministry

Millions of dollars are being lost through employment disputes that could have been avoided, according to the Ministry of Employment, Production and Industrial Relations.

Deputy Secretary Operations Atish Kumar said employers needed to strengthen workplace policies and follow established procedures to resolve disputes before they escalated to the Employment Tribunal.

Speaking during the HOTEC 2026 panel discussion on the Regulatory Reset - What Fiji’s changing rules mean for tourism businesses at Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort and Spa in Wailoaloa on Thursday, Mr Kumar said poor employment relations carried high costs for businesses.

He said employers needed to consider the time and resources spent attending tribunal hearings, negotiating settlements and dealing with employment disputes.

“Remember, please do understand your collective agreements because I have done some mathematics and I see that we have lost millions of dollars because we have not been able to have a good process in place,” he said.

Mr Kumar said many tribunal cases could be avoided if employers followed the dispute-resolution procedures outlined in collective agreements and employment legislation.

He urged businesses to focus on resolving issues through established workplace mechanisms rather than repeatedly taking disputes to the tribunal.

“What we need to do, we need to do business. And if we have a good policy in place, it will really help you to do good business,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring collective agreements contained clear procedures for addressing grievances and resolving disagreements between employers and employees.

Complaints on the rise

The Ministry of Employment is facing what a senior official describes as a huge number of workplace complaints, prompting renewed calls for employers to strengthen their employment practices.

Mr Kumar said the ministry was seeing significant numbers of complaints and disputes, highlighting the need for businesses to understand their legal responsibilities.

He added that the ministry wanted employers, particularly those in the tourism sector, to prepare for changes to employment legislation and understand the processes involved.

He said businesses needed to improve their handling of employment grievances, collective agreements, workplace policies and staff communication.

Mr Kumar also highlighted the importance of following proper dispute-resolution procedures, saying many cases reaching the Employment Tribunal could potentially be avoided.

He urged employers to ensure policies were understood by workers and that adequate records were maintained to support compliance with the law.

His comments point to the need for closer examination of employment complaints, including the issues workers are raising and how effectively disputes are resolved.