FHTA Tourism Talanoa: Sharing the Responsibility for Skills Development

Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, 10 July 2025 – From blame to balance: A call for shared responsibility in Fiji’s labour and skills conversations.

Fair wages, skills shortages, and worker migration are dominating the national discourse—but are we asking the right questions?

Rhetoric vs. Reality

In recent days, renewed calls to “pay workers what they’re worth” have cast a strong spotlight on Fiji’s private sector.

In the media, it might be a powerful assertion—morally resonant, anchored in justice, and driven by the long-simmering frustration of a workforce that has, for too long, felt undervalued. At its core, this sentiment supports a progressive vision for economic equity.

But in practice—especially in today’s volatile and interconnected global economy—the narrative is far more complex than the slogans suggest.

I wholeheartedly agree that fair wages are the cornerstone of a healthy, resilient economy. As a mother, a professional, and someone who has worked my way up through sheer persistence, I understand the personal cost of being underpaid.
Yet we cannot, and must not, reduce this multifaceted challenge to a single scapegoat: the private sector. Sustainable solutions require shared accountability—from employers, yes, but also from policymakers, educators, training institutions, and all those shaping the ecosystem in which businesses and workers alike must thrive.

Economic Complexity and Business Realities

What’s been missing from this debate is a dose of economic realism—and a better appreciation for the conditions that businesses in Fiji are actually operating in.

Yes, the call for higher wages is both morally and socially justified. But there’s a parallel truth: the surging cost of doing business is quietly eating into the very pay rises we’re being urged to deliver.

Every business—large or small—is grappling with rising operational costs: materials, freight, fuel, utilities, compliance, technology. Layer onto that the geographic complexity of operating in the South Pacific, where our heavy dependence on imports compounds cost pressures even further.

Ask any new business owner, developer, or investor, and you’ll hear just how precarious the landscape really is.

Wages don’t exist in isolation. They’re part of an interconnected cost structure, woven into every product on a shelf and every service delivered. Saying “just pay them more” might sound simple—but in reality, someone bears that cost. More often than not, it’s passed on to consumers. And in an economy where households are already stretched to the limit, businesses have precious little room to manoeuvre.

Skills, Migration and the Role of TVET

What we need is a conversation grounded in context and driven by co-creation—not blame.

Part of that co-creation involves recognising the critical role of skills development.

While it’s easy to dismiss Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as outdated or second-tier, doing so misses the forest for the trees.

TVET is not a silver bullet, but it is a strategic enabler. Between 2019 and 2024 alone, over 69,000 Fijians graduated from TVET programmes, with strong employability in tourism, construction, automotive, and electronics. These are not just numbers—they represent real people finding pathways to decent work.

TVET gives us the people we keep saying we desperately need: chefs, welders, mechanics, builders, technicians, project managers—and yes, even those leading the transition to green infrastructure and digital systems. Countries like Germany, Australia, and Singapore don’t treat TVET as an afterthought—they leverage it as an engine of growth.

For Fiji, a developing island country, “developing” means actively building institutions, diversifying our economy, and investing in people. That doesn’t happen without skilled, abour-intensive work—on farms, in factories, at construction sites, on buses, and in commercial kitchens.

The world doesn’t need more generalists. It needs more builders of things. So does Fiji.

Real Investment, Not Just Pay Rises

Tourism offers a powerful example of what’s possible.

Despite being one of the hardest-hit sectors during the pandemic, many operators didn’t wait for change—they initiated it. They rebuilt their training arms from scratch in response to gaps in academia and national training infrastructure. Some now run in house academies that deliver tailored TVET programmes complete with soft skills, digital literacy, and hands-on experience.

Others have scaled up internal training or outsourced it to specialists. And it’s working.

At the same time, some workers are returning to Fiji after stints abroad—bringing new skills, broader horizons, and a renewed connection to home. The reality of life overseas can be complicated, and many find that “greener pastures” aren’t always what they imagined. They’re coming back—and when they do, businesses are rehiring, retraining, and in some cases, paying more than ever before.

So yes, a second-tier chef at a major resort might now earn FJD $18–25 an hour, not including overtime and bonuses. A skilled refrigeration technician might command $9 18 an hour, depending on location. These are not arbitrary—they are shaped by market forces, skills shortages, and the urgent need to retain talent in a globally competitive environment. Additionally, tourism leads the way by (unintentionally) challenging other sectors to “up their game” or lose their workers because it’s growth continues to demand more workers that it is willing to upskill.

But the story doesn’t end with pay packets.

When workers receive raises only to find their grocery bill has jumped by 20%, what have we really achieved? Real wage growth must outpace inflation if it’s going to deliver genuine economic mobility. Otherwise, it’s just a prettier number on a payslip.

The international labour market will almost always offer higher pay—and no one should begrudge any Fijian who chooses a better-paying opportunity abroad. That is a personal decision, shaped by individual goals and circumstances.

But let’s not mistake that reality for the idea that businesses here at home are indifferent or exploitative. Most are doing everything they can to survive in a tough operating environment. And the same employers being criticised are the ones still hiring thousands of Fijians, investing in training, feeding families, supporting communities—and shouldering the country’s highest tax burdens.

The responsibility for solving Fiji’s labour and skills challenges isn’t employers’ alone.

It’s on educators to better align curricula with workforce realities. It’s on government to enact faster, smarter policy that supports both worker rights and business resilience. It’s on workers to keep learning and adapting, knowing the future of work is evolving faster than ever.

There is no silver bullet. But if we’re serious about building a stronger, more inclusive economy, we must all be at the table—not just with demands, but with ideas, solutions, and a willingness to share the load.

Because when we stop shouting across the aisle and start building across sectors, we don’t just fix problems—we unlock potential.

Let’s honour that. Let’s build that Fiji.

Fantasha Lockington – CEO, FHTA (Published in the Fiji Times on 10 July 2025)