23 Aug 2005

Vanuatu meeting aborted to discuss airline strike

1:30 pm on 23 August 2005

The union for Air Vanuatu workers says management failed to attend a meeting with the union today called after yesterday's strike.

The secretary general for the National Workers Union, Ephraim Kalsakau, says Air Vanuatu workers temporarily ended yesterday's strike after agreeing to further negotiations.

Workers chose to strike over a breakdown in discussions over a collective bargaining agreement, grievances over job security and severance pay.

He says the workers are now considering legal action.

"We've asked the commissioner of labour to look into a breech by the employer, as they proposed the meeting and we agreed to it in good faith. And them not turning up, as far as we're concerned it wasn't in the agreement so we'll wait for the Department of Labour to respond to us, and at the same time seek legal advice."

Ephraim Kalsakau.

Meanwhile, the Labour Minister George Wells also wants to take court action, declaring yesterday's strike action illegal.