11 Oct 2002

Striking Solomons aviation workers allow plane to land

12:40 pm on 11 October 2002

The General Secretary of the Solomon Islands Public Employees Union, Clement Waiwori, has told striking aviation workers to end their action.

He says their grievance has been transferred to the trade disputes panel which means that all strikes are banned pending a panel ruling.

This came after the strike halted all flights in Solomon Islands yesterday morning but later in the day the only international flight was allowed to land in Honiara.

The aviation, immigration and quarantine officers had begun their latest strike to back a demand for each of them to be paid two and half thousand US dollars for harrassment they claim to have suffered at the hands of militants after the coup two years ago.

Mr Waiwori said excuses by the government that it had no funds to pay them were wrong because it had the money to pay for such claims to officers in the Treasury, Customs, and Police.