Salutation
Ni sa bula vinaka. Namaste.
Today, we gather with heavy hearts to farewell a husband, father, uncle, a colleague, a Cabinet Minister, a Parliamentarian, a teacher, a trade unionist, a friend and above all, a servant of the people of Fiji — the late Honourable Agni Deo Singh.
There are moments when words seem inadequate. This is one such moment.
On behalf of the Government and the people of Fiji, I extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and loved ones of the late Hon Singh. You mourn someone much closer whose whole being and presence were part of you in every way. We acknowledge that whole-heartedly. And today, Fiji says to you: Thank you for sharing Hon Singh with our nation.
The late Hon Singh’s story was, in many respects, a story of service. He was a schoolteacher by profession and a trade unionist at heart. The classroom helped shape the man he became. As a teacher, he understood that leadership was not simply about giving instructions. It was about listening, guiding, nurturing and helping others realise their potential. Those qualities followed him throughout his life.
He took the values of a teacher into the trade union movement. When he entered Cabinet and Parliament, he brought with him the voices of ordinary working men and women. Through all these different chapters of his life, he never forgot where he came from – in rural Niurua Village in Macuata and his posting as a teacher in Labasa and Kadavu.
To those who worked closely with him, Hon Singh was much more than a Minister. He was a fatherly figure. He could be firm. He could be persistent. And when he believed something needed to be done, he would be relentless. But beneath that determination was a man who cared deeply about people. Whether you were a senior government official, an employer, a trade union representative, a worker who believed you had been treated unfairly, a former student, a community representative, or simply an ordinary citizen seeking assistance, Agni was prepared to listen.
He did not measure people by their title or position. He welcomed people for who they were. He engaged. And wherever possible, he tried to find a way forward. That was the man many of us knew. A man of integrity and humility, who never allowed high office to come between him and the ordinary person.
If there is one cause that defined much of Hon Singh’s public life, it was for workers. He believed that work was about more than earning a wage. He believed that work was about human dignity; that every person who goes to work deserve to return home safely; that workers deserve decent conditions; that workers deserve to be heard, and that economic development should never come at the expense of the dignity of working people. When it came to workers’ rights, Hon Singh left no stone unturned. Those who worked with him knew this very well.
He would ask questions, follow up, push officials, engage employers and listen to trade unions. And when necessary, he would take the matter to Cabinet or to Parliament. He was prepared to go beyond what was expected when he believed the welfare of workers was at stake. That is why many came to regard him as a “go-getter for the workers of Fiji.”
When there was an issue, he wanted action. When there was an injustice, he wanted it addressed. When there was an opportunity to improve the lives of workers and their families, he pursued it.
One of Hon. Singh’s significant achievements was helping to resolve the long-standing Vatukoula Gold Mine workers’ dispute; outstanding for more than three decades.
Under his leadership, Government worked with the relevant unions to secure a $9.2 million settlement for affected workers and their families. Hon. Singh acknowledged the hardship and long wait endured by the workers, recognising that while the payout could not fully compensate for their experiences, it represented an important step towards addressing a historic labour grievance.
The settlement reflected his commitment to workers’ rights, fairness and the resolution of long-standing employment disputes.
One of the defining features of Hon Singh’s tenure as Minister was his commitment to rebuilding Fiji’s tripartite machinery. He understood from his many years in industrial relations that Government alone do not have all the answers. Workers and employers have to be heard. And Government has the responsibility to bring both sides together. This conviction led to the reinstatement of the tripartite mechanism through the Employment Relations Advisory Board — ERAB.
For Hon Singh, ERAB was a table around which Government, employers and workers could once again sit as social partners. It represented dialogue and a willingness to address difficult employment issues. Agni believed deeply in tripartism.
He knew that Government, employers and workers would not always agree. He also knew that disagreement should never prevent dialogue. That lasting labour reforms required people to sit together, and search for common ground. That philosophy became a feature of his leadership of the Employment Ministry.
Hon Singh also helped lead one of the most significant periods of review of Fiji’s employment relations framework. The review of the Employment Relations Act and the subsequent Employment Relations Amendment legislation were matters to which he devoted considerable attention. The process required consultation, difficult conversations, balancing the interests of workers and employers, considering Fiji’s obligations under international labour standards.
However, Hon Singh, didn’t see these as simply legal provisions. Behind every provision was a worker. Behind every wage claim was a family. Behind every workplace dispute were people seeking to be valued. Behind every reform was an opportunity to build a fairer world of work.
His reform agenda also addressed the legacy of laws affecting workers in industries previously classified under the Essential National Industries Act.
These were not easy reforms. They touched on issues that had divided Governments, employers and trade unions for years. But Hon Singh was prepared to confront difficult issues. That was part of his character.
Hon Singh also championed reforms relating to workers’ compensation and rehabilitation. He understood that workplace injury could change a person’s life in an instant. When a worker was injured, the consequences did not fall on that worker alone. They affect spouses, children, household income and entire families.
This informed his work towards a modern Work Care framework that gave appropriate attention to compensation, rehabilitation and occupational health and safety. Hon Singh’s principle was simple: Every worker who leaves home for work must return home safely.
Early in his tenure, Hon Singh committed to addressing the workplace regulations to revoke the “No Jab, No Job” policy, another example required of an employment minister that understood the balance and responsibility to protect the health and safety and livelihood of workers, employment rights and the realities of employers.
Hon Singh strongly advocated for the removal of contractual appointments in the Civil Service and for the restoration of the retirement age to 60. He understood the value of experience and believed that a civil servant should be able to serve without constantly fearing the expiry of a contract. He was equally clear that security of employment must go hand in hand with responsibility.
One of the areas closely associated with his ministerial tenure was Government’s work on wages. Under his leadership, Fiji progressed the review of the National Minimum Wage and sectoral wages through consultation and tripartite processes. The National Minimum Wage increased progressively and reached five dollars an hour from 1 April 2025. He also oversaw the reconvening of Fiji’s Wages Councils. Hon Singh understood that wage-setting required balance. Businesses needed to remain viable. Jobs needed to be protected. Productivity needed to improve. But workers also needed to receive a fair return for their labour. For him, productivity and workers’ rights were complementary concepts. A productive economy required a workforce that was respected, protected, trained and fairly treated. That was the world of work he wanted Fiji to build.
Hon Singh recognized the importance of renewed engagement with the International Labour Organization (ILO). For years, Fiji’s labour relations framework had been the subject of international scrutiny.
It required Government to demonstrate that Fiji was prepared to address outstanding labour matters through genuine tripartism. An important milestone in this journey was the ILO Direct Contact Mission to Fiji that enabled direct engagement with Government, employers and workers. As Minister, he was tenacious in the functioning of tripartism and thus helping Fiji rebuild confidence with the international labour community.
Hon Singh recognised that the world of work was changing. Economies were more interconnected. Fijians were taking up employment overseas. And many of the labour challenges confronting Fiji were shared by our Pacific neighbours.
He believed the Pacific needed a stronger voice at the international stage and worked with fellow Pacific Labour Ministers to advance regional dialogue. Hon Singh wanted the Pacific to speak. But importantly, he wanted the world to listen to the Pacific.
That was also the reason Hon Singh believed in meeting workers where they were. He travelled to Australia and New Zealand. He met government counterparts, employers, unions, diplomatic representatives and labour mobility officials.
Importantly, he met the workers. He wanted to hear their stories, to understand their working conditions, to know about their accommodation, to understand their challenges and that their contracts were being honoured. And when workers raised concerns, he wanted those concerns followed up and addressed. He was not satisfied by simply reading about the PALM or RSE Scheme from a briefing paper in Suva. He wanted to see, to listen and to act. That was Hon Singh. That was the go-getter in him. And that commitment to workers remained with him to the very end.
Hon Singh understood that both Parliament and Cabinet were vital forums for advancing the interests of workers. As Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, he consistently used these platforms to ensure that the concerns of ordinary Fijians were heard at the highest levels of national decision-making.
He spoke passionately on issues affecting workers’ lives and livelihoods. To these discussions, Hon Singh brought a deep understanding of workers’ realities, industrial relations, and the impact that policy decisions could have on families and communities.
At Cabinet, Hon Singh ensured that the voice of workers was heard. Determined, he continually sought practical outcomes that would improve the lives of workers.
His contributions in Parliament and Cabinet reflected a lifelong commitment to social justice, worker welfare, and service. His steadfast dedication to the people of Fiji will be deeply missed.
Of all the titles he carried throughout his life, I believe the teacher in Hon Singh never disappeared. A good teacher listens, guides, challenges, and sometimes, pushes people beyond what they believe they can achieve. A good teacher leaves lessons behind long after he has left the classroom.
Agni has now left us. His work remains, his example remains, his lessons remain.
Today, Fiji farewells a man who gave a significant part of his life to serving others. A teacher who educated…A trade unionist who represented…A Parliamentarian who spoke and acted…A Minister who led…A colleague who contributed…A leader who listened…A man who welcomed people from all walks of life…And a true son of Fiji who served his country with integrity to the very end.
There will be laws bearing the imprint of his work. Parliamentary records carrying his words. Cabinet decisions to which he contributed. Regional and international initiatives that carry forward the work he helped advance. Perhaps Hon Singh’s greatest legacy will not be found in these.
Rather, it will be found in people. In the student who remembers his teacher. In the worker whose grievance was heard. In the trade unionist who remembers standing beside him. In the employer who sat across the table from him. In the family whose livelihood improved. In the employee whose rights were protected. In the worker who returned home safely. In the young Fijian who found employment. In the PALM or RSE worker far from home who knew that Fiji had not forgotten them. And in the public servants whom he constantly challenged to remember why Government exists – to serve the people.
To Mrs Singh, your children, Hon Singh’s beloved family. No words from Government can remove the pain of your loss. But I hope that in the days, months and years ahead, you will find some comfort in knowing that the man you loved so dearly touched the lives of so many. You shared him with Fiji. You endured the long meetings. The telephone calls. The parliamentary sittings. The Cabinet responsibilities. The trade union work. The community engagements. The international engagements. The overseas missions. His absence. And the many occasions when service to the country called him away from home. Behind every public servant is a family that also makes sacrifices. Today, as a nation, we recognise yours. And for that sacrifice, Fiji says: Thank you kindly.
And now, the Hon Agni Deo Singh, we say our farewell – to a husband, father, father-in-law and uncle, a Minister, a Parliamentarian, a Unionist, a Teacher.
As Prime Minister, as your Cabinet colleague, and as a fellow servant of the people, I say: Well done, good and faithful servant. From a grateful nation, we thank you.
May your soul rest in eternal peace.
Vinaka vakalevu, Dhanyavaad.