16 Jan 2012

Samoa employees gaining bad reputation

6:51 pm on 16 January 2012

A Samoa business owner of nearly 20 years says she would rather employ people from the Philippines and Fiji because she says many Samoans have a poor work ethic.

The owner of Le Vai Limited in Apia, Fatima Strickland, fired seven employees last week for stealing, and had to close her purified drinking water business temporarily while she found new staff.

Mrs Strickland has talked to other business owners, who she says are experiencing similar problems.

She says it is a growing issue and Samoans are getting a bad reputation as workers.

"I think it's a disease here in Samoa. I'm not the only one, there's no work ethic, not only honesty with money, but they don't turn up on time, they don't have work ethic, it's very poor."

Fatima Strickland believes the problem stems from the pressure put on people to provide gifts and money at traditional ceremonies like weddings and funerals, which drives them to steal.