Security firm under investigation after viral video

The Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations has launched an investigation into a private security company following a viral video alleging unsafe treatment of a worker.

Permanent Secretary for Employment, Jone Maritino Nemani, said Labour Inspectors had been directed to urgently assess the circumstances of the alleged incident and determine whether any workplace laws were breached.

Mr Nemani said the Ministry took allegations involving the safety, dignity and welfare of workers seriously.

“Under Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1996, every employer in Fiji has a clear legal obligation to ensure the health and safety of their workers. If the allegations currently circulating on social media are substantiated, such conduct may amount to a serious breach of those obligations,” he said.

“Employers in Fiji must understand that their responsibility to worker safety does not simply disappear when a shift ends. The law requires employers to maintain safe systems of work, including safe access to and from workplaces, so far as is reasonably practicable.”

He said employers were required to provide and maintain safe working environments, including ensuring machinery, equipment and systems were properly maintained and supported by appropriate information, training and supervision.

Mr Nemani said employers also had an ongoing obligation to ensure workplaces did not expose employees to unnecessary health or safety risks, including providing adequate welfare facilities.

“In sectors such as private security, employers must also remain mindful of any industry-specific legal obligations. Under the Security Services Regulation 2015, employers are required to provide transportation for security officers between 10pm and 6am where public transportation is not reasonably available.”

He said the Ministry would not prejudge the outcome of the investigation, but warned that any employer found to have breached employment laws could face enforcement action.

“Where workers are required to perform duties during late hours, in isolated locations, or in circumstances where public transportation may not be readily available, employers are expected to take all reasonable steps to ensure those workers are not exposed to unnecessary risk.”

“No worker in Fiji should be placed in circumstances where their safety, wellbeing, or personal dignity is compromised simply because their shift has ended.”

The Ministry reminded the public that workplace safety is protected under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1996, which places legal obligations on employers to provide safe working arrangements.