25 Jun 2002

General secretary of National Federation party quits politics to concentrate on union dutiesFe

10:30 am on 25 June 2002

The general secretary of Fiji's National Federation Party, Attar Singh, has resigned from his position and quit politics.

Mr Singh says pressure of work as general secretary of the Fiji Airline workers Association forced him to make the decision.

Mr Singh's successor as general secretary of the NFP will be elected at a party meeting next month.

Meanwhile, Mr Singh has warned that employees of Fiji's national airline, Air Pacific, have given notice of strike action just ahead of the African, Caribbean and Pacific leader's summit in Nadi next month.

The employees belong to the Fiji Aviation Workers Association.

Mr Singh says the association has a list of grievances which Air Pacific has refused to settle, including one going back to 1998 when the airline made 12 senior staff redundant despite an arbitration award.

Mr Singh has instructed all employees rostered for duty from midnight on the 12th of July not to carry out any work for Air Pacific including refuelling the airlines planes.

He has also informed members of the International Transport Workers Federation to seek their support at all airports in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Rim where Air Pacific flies.