SOME air traffic controllers have returned to work after Minister for Industrial Relations Parveen Kumar declared the “strike unlawful”, says Fiji Airports.
Fiji Airports’ communications and public relations manager Christopher Chand issued a statement this week requesting and urging other controllers to return to work and to discuss any issues they may have.
“Fiji Airports has maintained that the actions of the controllers to take co-ordinated leave from Monday March 18 came as a surprise,” he said.
“There were no grievances or disputes pending before some controllers took this action to walk off their jobs and demand a pay rise before they return
. “The action of taking co-ordinated leave has been declared an unlawful strike by the Minister for Employment on Wednesday March 20. “Our controllers must return to work to abide by the law and then negotiate any pay issues they may have.
“We have held numerous discussions with our controllers and given three pay rises in the last five years.
“Each controller on average received 61 per cent more in their gross pay last year compared to 2013 for working 43 per cent less in overtime.”
Mr Chand claimed the ATCs who had not returned to work were making false statements in the media and sensationalising safety concerns.
He added that “very few people” who wished to sit outside did not want air traffic services to be provided at all “so that the country comes down to a halt”.
“What does that tell you about the motives and agenda of such very few people?”
