ATTORNEY-General and Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said while the Opposition had been focused on the 758 job losses at Fiji Airways, no one has mentioned the 731 staff who would remain employed.
“Some will come to work for five, three or two days, depending on the need,” he said, while speaking on a motion for a Government guarantee for Fiji Airways to loan $455million in Parliament yesterday.
“The way the other side of the House is talking, as if there are no terminations in other industries.
“I am actually more concerned, if we were to compare apples to apples in terms of earning capacity, are the women in the garment industry, they don’t get paid as much as the people who work in Fiji Airways, they don’t have the same lucrative deals the people in Fiji Airways have.
“These workers in the garment factory, a lot of them have been sent home, they have reduced hours, a lot of them are working one or two days a week.
“I am more concerned about them, more concerned about those in the informal sector, more concerned about the micro-enterprises.
“For the past number of months, since the flights have stopped flying, all staff of Fiji Airways have been paid 70 per cent salary without having to go to work a single day.”
Opposition parliamentarian Ro Filipe Tuisawau had earlier asked Government what measures were in place to assist Fiji Airways workers and tourism industry employees.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said they were being paid one months’ salary and would also be able to access Fiji National Provident Fund COVID-19 assistance.
