Stop Provocation

Tukai Lagonilakeba, Namaka, Nadi

The Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) general secretary Felix Anthony is recorded in a daily newspaper on Sunday 14 and this is the content of what he boisterously shouted in front of all those present on the day.

“Let's shut this country down, today we have just shut down Nadi Town and we are going to shut down bigger things if we don't get a resolution to the Air Terminal Services (ATS) strike”.

Is that a threat and is it inciting? National security and the welfare of the nation is of utmost importance. Felix must stop the provocation as Fijians interpret differently.

I would like to ask our Divisional Police Commander West Senior Superitendant Khan and our Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho to please investigate the above statements made by Felix at the Nadi District School compound after their march from Nadi Town.

That is to see if he has gone overboard with his statements which can be deemed inciting.

The FTUC has already applied for another march on February 24th but I would like to call on relevant government authorities not to allow them a permit to march in Suva.

The one in Nadi was good enough as that is simply justifiable because it is where the ATS is based and the saga should be confined and it must remain here. The Nadi march itself has given the message across to the target audience.

Everyone in Fiji knows that this is a great opportunity and the marches are politically motivated by SODELPA, National Federation Party, Fiji Labour Party and Unity Fiji in the guise of using the ATS issue and their workers as a front to achieve their many hidden political agendas.

It is disturbing to physically see our educational institution at the Nadi District Primary School is being subjected and used as a party venue for the FTUC, the political parties present with the ATS Union, supporters with their sympathisers.

I would like to suggest the FTUC president Dan Urai and his many union cronies to move the picketing site away from the ATS frontage down to his Fiji Hotel Workers Union office opposite Nadi District School and Ratu Navula College.

There it is private, clean, it has toilets for both men and women, a large compound together with cooking facilities, there are also union telephones available in the office for free for striking workers to use.

I guess the office is also their entitlement as union members affiliated to FTUC.

This he must urgently do if he does genuinely care for the welfare and health of the striking workers and their supporters.