Inequality in Fiji and what the writers leave out

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In today's Fiji Village there's a short report on a meeting today to discuss wages in Fiji and a note that wages are very low but the writer does not specify exactly what is the wage per hour.  When talking with workers in the hospitality industry in Nadi they tell me it's about $2.50 per hour for some workers and that is $1.50A which is a palty sum when you know that food is costly in Nadi and that rent is quite high - houses and flats often owned by Fiji people who are overseas and rake in money from renting out the properties.

Then I thought it might be an idea to check out rates at resorts so I looked up one and discovered that one room per night is often up to $400 (told to me by a passenger on the plane to Fiji) and on the internet even up to $3000F a night.  Now that just doesn't add up to me, that the girl/woman who cleans the guest's room gets a very low wage and the owner/company charges so much!  The hotels that have reasonable prices are not advertised overseas, only the expensive ones!

Fiji Golf Resort & Spa  at Maro Road, Natadola

2 double beds garden $800F a night

1 King bed pool from $960F a night

I King bed Lagoon from $1,120F a night

and it goes on to $3,040F a night

Fiji still has very low minimum wage rate in certain sectors-Salle

Publish date/time: 13/09/2013 [15:03] Print this page Email this page Fiji still has very low minimum wage rate in certain sectors. This was one of the main issues raised by the keynote speaker Roger La Salle the creator of ‘The Matrix Thinking’ in Australia during the Topex Conference organised by Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation.  Speaking at the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa in Natadola today, La Salle stressed that Fiji's current minimum wage rate in certain sectors is similar to China's 20 years ago and countries like Australia have far better minimum wage rates. There is an audio file attached to this story. Please loginto listen. Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Jone Usamate said different countries have different wage rates. There is an audio file attached to this story. Please loginto listen. Story by: Filipe Naikaso and Akuila Cama