15 Jan 2018

Fiji union leader urges national strike

8:37 am on 15 January 2018

Fiji union leader Felix Anthony has threatened a national strike if there's no resolution to the airport workers dispute.

Nadi International Airport, Fiji

Nadi International Airport, Fiji Photo: RNZI/Sally Round

An estimated 3000 people marched through Nadi on Saturday in support of 200 Air Terminal Services workers, who say they've been locked out since holding a meeting a month ago.

Mr Anthony told a rally after the march the government should immediately take steps to end the impasse.

He said if there was no resolution further action would be taken including asking all unions to start thinking about a national strike.

"Let's shut this country down if we have to," he said.

Mr Anthony says they've applied to hold another March in Suva on 24 February.

The chair of Air Terminal Services Riyaz Sayed Khaiyum told Fiji media yesterday the rally was for politicians to "rabble-rouse" and he appealed to workers not to be misled.

He said workers were welcome to come back to work as long as they admitted their walkout was illegal.

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