Former Vatukoula gold mine workers and their families have received compensation more than three decades after a strike over poor pay and working conditions began Fiji's longest-running industrial dispute.
The strike started in 1991 and continued for 33 years, with 190 workers dying before a settlement was reached in 2024 and a $9.2 million government compensation program established.
Permanent Secretary for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, Jone Maritino Nemani, handed over a further 13 compensation envelopes, with seven beneficiaries receiving payments and another six to be paid in the new financial year.
The latest payments recognise the decades-long wait endured by affected workers and families.
"For many of these families, this has been a journey spanning more than three decades," Mr Nemani said.
"No compensation can restore the years they have lost, but today's payments represent Government's commitment to honouring that history and ensuring those affected receive the recognition they deserve."
Workers at the Vatukoula Gold Mine began the strike on February 27, 1991.
The dispute affected generations of workers and their families, many of whom waited decades for their grievances to be formally acknowledged.
The 2024 agreement provided compensation to surviving workers and eligible beneficiaries while affirming the role of international labour standards in resolving the dispute.
Each eligible worker or beneficiary is entitled to receive $25,000 under the compensation program.
A total of $7.485 million has been paid so far, with 298 beneficiaries receiving their full entitlement.
Five other beneficiaries received an initial payment of $10,000 before they died.
The remaining $15,000 owed in each of those cases will be paid to their estates once probate proceedings are completed.
A further $1.515 million remains to be distributed to 63 beneficiaries.
That total includes 58 beneficiaries awaiting their full $25,000 payment and five estates awaiting the remaining $15,000.
The outstanding payments are subject to the completion of probate processes before money can be released to the estates of beneficiaries who have died.
The compensation program is intended to recognise the sacrifices made by Vatukoula gold mine workers and provide closure for families who waited decades for the dispute to be resolved.
Each completed payment brings the program closer to resolving the remaining cases.
Mr Nemani linked the handovers to the experiences of the families behind each claim.
"Standing with these families today is a powerful reminder that behind every payment is a story of resilience, perseverance and hope," he said.
"We remain committed to ensuring every eligible beneficiary receives what they are entitled to, so this long chapter in our nation's industrial history can finally be brought to a dignified close."
The Government will continue working through the remaining cases until every eligible beneficiary or estate has received the amount owed.
