Pacific

New Zealand union leader gives Fiji an ultimatum over its failure to recognise the Fiji Public Servi

15:22 pm on 7 June 2002

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions has warned the Fiji Government to enforce a High Court ruling ordering the state-owned company, Airports Fiji Limited, to recognise the Fiji Public Service Association.

The trade union body says nothing short of full recognition will be acceptable to it and the wider international trade union movement.

The warning is contained in a letter from the New Zealand CTU president, Ross Wilson, to the Fiji Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase.

Mr Wilson has urged Mr Qarase to ensure that Airports Fiji Ltd complies with the High Court ruling.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Merchant Service Guild has written to Mr Qarase expressing concern that the government appears to turn a blind eye to Airports Fiji Ltd ignoring the law when a ruling was made in favour of the union.

Its secretary, John McLeod, also says the ban on Australian trade unionists entering Fiji raises the fear that the Government is anti-union and intent of destroying the union movement in Fiji.

Meanwhile moves are afoot to bring on international solidarity action against Fiji if the dispute is not resolved by the weekend.

The Asia-Pacific regional secretary of the International Transport Federation, Shigeru Wada, will be meeting the Japanese Federation of Aviation Workers in Tokyo this afternoon to mobilise action from Japan.