South Seas Club staff seek answers over lay-offs and unpaid entitlements

Staff members of the South Seas Club in Lautoka are calling for fair treatment and transparency after they were laid off earlier this week without formal notice.

About 12 employees are now searching for ways to support their families, claiming neither the club’s former trustees, nor the new administration accepted responsibility for paying their outstanding entitlements.

Background

The dispute stems from a legal battle that began seven years ago when the club’s board of trustees took its management committee and founding members to court over alleged financial mismanagement.

On February 18, 2022, the High Court in Lautoka ruled in favour of the management committee, finding that the trustees acted unlawfully in removing the committee because the South Seas Club Constitution gave them the power only to suspend, not terminate committee members.

The trustees appealed the decision on March 4, 2022. The appeal was allowed to proceed on October 31, 2022, pending written submissions to be filed at the Appeals Court Registry.

The matter was listed for February 2023, but the appeal was later deemed abandoned after the appellants failed to meet court requirements.

In its latest ruling on May 6 this year, the Court of Appeal found the appellants had failed to progress the appeal since September 2023 despite being given several opportunities to comply with procedural requirements.

Now, employees say they have become the casualties of the prolonged dispute.

Adi Laisa Volatabu, who worked as an accounts clerk said staff were never informed about the court orders or given notice that their employment would end.

“These people don’t understand that we gave them our all. We have families to support, bills to pay and rent to cover,” Ms Volatabu said.

“There were no notice and no warning about our termination. Now we’re being pushed around as though we don’t matter.

“A tenant restaurant Amir Restaurant was even given the notice to vacate the area, but not us.”

Ms Volatabu said the workers sought assistance from the Ministry of Employment.

“We even went to the Ministry of Employment under our former boss’s advice, and after officials spoke with Cecil James, we were instructed to return all the keys to the premises,” she said.

She said staff members had received conflicting instructions from the former and current office holders.

“We were recently called by James who told us to return the keys because police were looking for us. He told us that if the current administration paid us, it could take months.”

Another former employee, Sera Tukana, 51, said although she had another source of income, her five years as a bartender ended disappointingly.

“We knew about the court case, but no one kept us informed about its progress or the court orders,” Ms Tukana said.

“Just give us what we’re owed and, more importantly, respect your workers.”

Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Agni Singh confirmed the ministry’s Western Division office was investigating the matter.

He said an update would be provided once he received a progress report.

Former trustee Jan Mohammed, who managed the club from Australia, is expected to respond today pending his solicitor’s advice.

Questions were also sent to the solicitor representing the new administration, but no response was received when this edition went to press last night.