Nemani Directs Investigation Into Alleged Security Worker Incident After Viral Video

The Fiji Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations says it has launched an urgent investigation following a viral social media video allegedly showing a private security worker being left in unsafe circumstances after completing their shift.

Permanent Secretary for Employment Jone Maritino Nemani confirmed that Ministry of Labour Inspectors have been instructed to immediately assess the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether any provisions of Fiji’s workplace laws may have been breached.

Mr Nemani said the Ministry takes any allegations involving the safety, dignity, and welfare of workers extremely seriously, particularly where workers may have been exposed to avoidable risk.

“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," said Nemani.

He stressed that an employer’s duty of care does not simply end once an employee clocks off.

“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.”

Mr Nemani said Fiji’s workplace laws place a continuing obligation on employers to provide safe working environments, properly maintained equipment, appropriate supervision, and adequate welfare arrangements for employees.

He also reminded employers operating in specialised sectors, such as private security, that additional industry obligations may apply.

“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.”

While investigations remain ongoing, Mr Nemani said the Ministry would allow the facts to determine the next course of action but warned that any employer found to have breached Fiji’s 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 has urged the public to allow the investigative process to run its course while inspectors establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged incident.