Airline Union ‘Ready to Move Forward’
We are ready to move forward, says Semisi Turagabaleti. The Federated Airlines Staff Association (FASA) president made the comment during the one-year celebration of the Air Terminal Services (ATS) workers returning to work after the 32-day strike, which came to an end last year on January 19. Mr Turagabaleti said the purpose of the gathering was to remember the struggles during December 16, 2017, to January 19, 2018. “That will remind us of the struggles during December 16 and coming back and what that might create is some sort of division for those who were locked out and those who continued to work,” he said.
“There’s no longer a difference in category when it comes to the workers interest. “One of the reasons we are gathered today is to come and celebrate when the good news was announced on January 19, 2018 when we returned to work.”
He said the good news allowed the organisation to open doors and opportunities for workers to reconcile.
“It opened an opportunity for us to lift the standards at ATS and that’s the true spirit of forgiveness and that’s the reason we have decided to come together and today marks one year of going back to work,” Mr Turagabaleti said.
“We are ready to move forward. It won’t be easy, it will be quite a process but the onus is on each and every one of us, make the stand, make the change for ATS.”