The Air Terminal Services Management has welcomed the decision from the Employment Tribunal that requires ATS workers who walked off their jobs on December 16th last year to return to work.

The management says this is the best possible outcome from the situation; ATS employees are set to return to work, while also being held accountable for their unlawful action.

ATS says that as articulated in the decision, it doesn’t view this outcome as a win for either party, but more a win for the value of Fijian employment law.

ATS has noted the decision from the Tribunal doesn’t prevent any disciplinary measures from being taken against the workers for abandoning their positions and engaging in an unlawful walkout.

While acknowledging that the decision requires the workers to return to their posts, ATS is seeking further legal advice on certain aspects of the Tribunal decision to consider additional legal steps.

ATS particularly notes the decision requires workers to resolve all legitimate grievances through good faith bargaining within the existing conflict resolution frameworks, as set out by the Employment Relations Act 2007.

The decision goes on to state the employees and their trade union must follow the terms of registered collective agreements and the legal requirements for participating in industrial conduct, and cannot pick and choose when they seek protection of the law.

ATS has also fully endorsed the way forward articulated in the decision that calls for a partnered approach in resolving any and all issues that arise in the workplace.

ATS says it will also implement certain security measures to prevent any further economic sabotage from taking place in the workplace to ensure there are no serious disruptions to ATS services and threats to the Fijian economy in the future.

Meanwhile, the Employment tribunal yesterday ordered the ATS workers to return to work with no conditions and receive full back pay from December 16.