“All are from migrant backgrounds and have limited to negligible written and verbal English skills.”

The conduct involved a CEPU official organising employees of a plumbing company performing work at the site to cease working for 3.5 hours on 1 December 2017.

"I spent two and a bit years basically not being able to start my professional year, which was needed to be a financial adviser."

Medical evidence indicates very young children are at a critical stage of cognitive development and may be incapable of understanding their behaviour is seriously wrong.

Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said the regulator would continue to enforce workplace laws and take business operators to court where lawful requests are not complied with.

“Where employers do not comply, we will take appropriate action to protect employees. A court can order a business to pay penalties in addition to back-paying workers.”

The two affected workers were paid flat rates as low as $15 per hour, which resulted in underpayment of the junior hourly rates, casual loadings, and weekend and public holiday penalty rates.

In imposing the penalties, Judge Stewart Brown found that the affected worker was vulnerable and remained “out of pocket” despite direct requests to the cleaning operator.

While leaving the court premises, Bainimarama told the media that he “served as a prime minister of Fiji with integrity and everyone’s interest at heart”.

Financial details of several individuals and businesses were also unlawfully obtained, resulting in using credit card information to make a series of unauthorised purchases.