22 Jan 2018

Fiji airport workers file back after tribunal ruling

5:17 pm on 22 January 2018

Suspended air terminal workers in Fiji have been filing back to work this morning after a tribunal order on Saturday.

Nadi International Airport, Fiji

Nadi International Airport, Fiji Photo: RNZI/Sally Round

The Employment Relations Tribunal found their employer ATS did not follow due process and gave the company 48 hours to allow the workers to return to their jobs at Nadi airport.

The secretary for the ATS Employees Trust Vili Finau said the workers were all dressed in their corporate uniforms and queued at the gate this morning to collect their rosters and security cards.

He said they were absolutely elated.

"When the ruling was made on Saturday, there was just celebrations all round. The whole of Nadi town was celebrating."

Mr Finau said the workers were hopeful they would be paid for their time off work, in accordance with the ruling.

"The company has been directed to comply with the ruling within 48 hours which effectively means at 1pm today we should be getting full details of salary that will need to be paid to the staff, back-dated to the 16th of December."

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