Big response to ATS vacancies

An overwhelming response has been received by the Air Terminal Services (ATS) for short-term vacancies it recently advertised.

These 150 positions were left vacant by striking workers currently embroiled in a dispute with ATS management. Acting chief executive officer Hare Mani said the applications have been coming in and they expect an even bigger response to the ‘walk-in’ interviews which will take place in Nadi tomorrow.

“There has been a huge response in written applications and there should be even more in the interviews this Friday. Our human resources team have confirmed this,” Mr Mani said.

Vacancies were advertised for 150 staff members with a three- month temporary employment term. These include loaders, passenger assistance agents, catering attendants, kitchen cleaners, cooks, assistants and airline cooks. Meanwhile, mediation continued up till last night between the ATS management, the leaders of the Air Terminal Services Employees Trust and the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations officers. Mr Mani said that while they hoped to reach a solution soon, there were still some issues left to be discussed and clarified. “This will drag on till tomorrow (Thursday) and we’ll see from there.”

Entering its 12th day yesterday, workers still gathered at the ATS main gate to protest.

While some have returned to work, others continue to push their stand for their return to work without any conditions attached. This was after ATS management issued a statement saying that those who wanted to resume work had to sign an admission

This will drag on till tomorrow (Thursday) and we’ll see from there. Hare Mani Air Terminal Services acting chief executive OFfiCEr

letter stating that they were at fault for walking off in the first place to attend a ‘beneficiaries’ meeting.

The workers are demanding a pay rise, a back pay and the removal of current Acting CEO Mr Mani and his management team. Returning to work was a no-brainer for a young woman who was initially part of the stop-work protest.

She is among a group of 17 workers who recently returned to work.

Not wanting to be named for fear of victimisation, she said she went along to the protest after being told by friends and colleagues that this was for their own good and that they would definitely get a monetary return.

“I went for the first few days, everything seemed okay. We seemed to be headed somewhere, but then after that, I didn’t know anymore if anything would happen,” she said.

“I feel for those protestors because some of them have been here for many years and they are fighting for what they feel is their right. But for me, I had to really think hard because this is my bread and butter.”