Unionist claims

Tukai Lagonilakeba, Nadi

If there were any safety breaches at the Nadi International Airport during the ATS employees strike as suggested by union activist Dan Urai than it is an internal operational matter that involves the CAAFI, AFL, ATS including Fiji Airways who are all responsible stakeholders and are all compliant with international best practice standards.

Urai’s call and claims in the media seeking the opposition to move a motion in Parliament for a commission of inquiry into the allegations is senseless, uncalled for and baseless.

But, I personally feel the blame should be directed to the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) together with the ATS union member employees who went on strike on December 16, 2017.

It will only be a time waster in our Parliament as there are more pressing and urgent issues needed to be dealt with and discussed in Parliament. The breach claim by Urai is an internal policy operational matter for the regulators to deal with in a professional manner and I am sure they have done that.

I would urge Dan to get any of the Opposition of his choice from either SODELPA or the NFP to register his suggested motion in our next Parliament sitting. If accepted by the secretariat we will again witness the motion being simply thrown out of Parliament because the Opposition members have never succeeded in any of their motions so far.

The Employees Tribunal ruling by Magistrate See in January this year is a landmark judgement for the Country's Employment and Industrial Relations Laws with the learned Magistrate giving out specific instructions to all parties concerned to immediately return to their workplace and get on with the business.

The Fiji Sun’s report on page 16 (February, Tuesday 13) reported an important turn of event whereby the High Court of Lautoka wholly struck out all claims by ATSET against Government and the ATS Board and its management. In its judgement the High Court stated that the ATSET application was a case which was both “Bad in Law” and “Weak on Evidence” What a mess Dan, but someone definitely will have to pay the price along the line.