3 Aug 2004

Air Fiji engineers continue strike

1:07 pm on 3 August 2004

There's been no breakthrough in talks to end the deadlock over Air Fiji sacking 35 of its engineers for what it calls an illegal strike.

Fiji's Minister of Labour, Kenneth Zinck, says he's met the airline's management but he's still assessing the situation.

The general secretary of the Transport Workers Union, Attar Singh, says the company has reneged on a deal its chief executive agreed to, in terms of reinstating the engineers.

Mr Zinck says both sides of the dispute are being looked at.

"We met with the management of Air Fiji and we just wanted to know where the strike is up to, and what is their stance. We have, also, a letter from the union and we're just looking at the legality of the letter and their requests, so that's where we're at, at the moment."

Mr Zinck says it may be sometime this week that a resolution is reached.

Mr Singh says Air Fiji, which normally operates 12 planes, has been directed by Civil Aviation to fly only four but the minister says there's been little impact to the airline's operations.