Page 7 - IB FEB 2018

WE SAY

Workers from around the country join their ATS colleagues in the FTUC. Photos: Joe Yaya

the difficulties to which staff at Airport Terminal Services had would not take part in industrial action which would threaten the
been submitted over more than a decade. aviation and tourism industries.
Few believed that the industrial action which began beside It is ironical, then, that a company founded to protect the rights
a drain outside the country’s major international aviation hub of workers and ensure that industrial action did not affect national
would last more than a few days. interests should show no goodwill in negotiations.
But as the drama unfolded it became obvious to all involved And that it should be brought to its knees by a dispute when
and onlookers that this was a battle which workers had chosen all the mechanisms existed to allow conciliation and dialogue.
to take to the very end, despite the consequences. The attitude of Fiji’s government towards workers was made
A perfectly innocent shareholders meeting was attended by quite clear by Prime Minister, Rear-Admiral Frank Bainimarama,
workers who walked off their posts on a slow day at the airport. who over the month-long lock out failed to speak to the workers
ATS management and the board could have allowed the directly.
workers to return to their posts before instituting disciplinary Instead he used the state-owned and supported media outlets
procedures in a calm manner. to deride, ridicule and later threatened the locked-out ATS staff.
Instead, security guards were ordered to lock out the workers But the goodwill towards the lock-out from workers’ organi-
and from that moment, the fight was on between a group of sations, trade unions, faith groups, villagers and politicians was
concerned workers and Fiji’s government. overwhelming.
Every weapon in the government’s vast arsenal was brought And it was obvious that there is a huge groundswell of discon-
to bear on the workers including a sabre-rattling Republic of Fiji tent among Fiji’s workers over the way they have been treated
Military Forces which called on them to return to work and not by their leaders.
threaten national stability. A massive march through Nadi in support of the lock-out was
But the workers – 49 per cent owners of the ground-handling attended by as many as 8500 people despite security checks de-
company – were not to be deterred. signed to intimidate civil servants who wanted to attend the event.
Their resolve was strengthened by the fact that workers had Now trade unions want to march in the capital city this month
called for pay increases and the resolution of several grievances in what is quickly becoming a political issue. In Fiji’s recent
including harassment of staff, misconduct of managers and the history the two industrial actions at Nadi International Airport
unfair dismissal of workers’ representatives on the ATS board. involving the trade union movement ended with the removal of
Emboldened by a government which has treated workers with the incumbent government at the elections.
contempt since 2006, ATS took a hard line instead of a conciliatory It remains to be seen whether the lock-out will cause the
approach and refused to address the grievances. Bainimarama government to fall.
ATS was formed 30 years ago after the Australian flag carrier, But one thing is clear.
Qantas, sold its ground handling operations at Nadi Airport. Fiji’s workers will no longer be silent on bread and butter
Essentially, workers were allowed to buy into the company issues.
to ensure that with their financial interest in ATS ensured, they • We say is compiled with the oversight of the editor

Islands Business, February 2018 7