Striking workers at a major hotel in the Fiji capital are defying an order from the minister for labour to return to work.
Forty-five workers at the Suva Holiday Inn walked off their jobs yesterday to seek reinstatement and compensation for a fellow worker who was dismissed in December 2003 for assault.
The labour minister, Kenneth Zinck, says their dispute should have been filed within 17 days but they didn't do so until June last year.
His ministry refused to accept the dispute but the workers claim their grievance should be heard by the government arbitrator.
The workers say they're determined to continue with their strike.
But Mr Zinck says if they do so, their employer will have every right to dismiss all of them for breaching their collective agreement.
