Staff Contracts Under Review: Paradise Beverages

Staff contracts are under review at the country’s largest brewery.

Contracts under review are those with fixed term at Paradise Beverages (PBF).

General manager, Mike Spencer, said the review would be on a case-by-case basis for contracts that expire this year.

He said the review would take into consideration the lower demand for  the brewery’s products.

“Our hope is that demand for our award-winning products will return, and we can once again expand the employment opportunities at Paradise Beverages,” he said.

Paradise Beverages employs 550 staff in Fiji and Samoa across four sites, Mr Spencer said.

The company’s biggest shareholder is the Australian-listed beverage company, Coca Cola Amatil.

“Paradise Beverages aims to be recognised as the premier place to work, creating world-class beverages and making a positive contribution to the business and the markets in which it operates,” Mr Spencer said.

Among its many achievements in 2020 was its investment of $390,000 in sponsorships and charitable causes, he said.

“Paradise Beverages’ workforce comprises permanent employees, fixed-term employees and a pool of casual employees, who work together to deliver local beverage favourites,” Mr Spencer said.

“In late 2018, we added a third shift each day on the Fiji brewery packaging line to meet the demand for our products at that time, and we were optimistic about sustained growth.”

Courage and care

Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the business,  no employees were terminated at the Fiji brewery, and  no changes were made to pay rates, Mr Spencer said.

“We’re proud of the way our team responded to the challenge using both courage and care,” he said.

“The leadership team at Paradise Beverages maintained open lines of communication with the branch representatives of National Union of Factory and Commerce Workers on all matters, including the continued employment of permanent and fixed-term employees.”

Grocery voucher

Mr Spencer said management ensured work hours were available to casual employees where possible, and the provision of a $300 grocery voucher to any employee who went on leave without pay for four days or more.

“Our employees also held a COVID-safe fair at our Fiji brewery to help raise funds for any colleagues impacted by the pandemic,” Mr Spencer said.

In the meantime, Paradise Beverages has renewed its focus in Samoa on producing high quality, local beer.

Paradise Beverages earlier said Coca-Cola trademark beverages currently produced by PBF’s Samoan subsidiary (Samoa Breweries Limited) would be imported to Samoa from Fiji and New Zealand to allow Samoa breweries to focus on brewing and growing the Vailima beer brand.

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