AN Air Terminal Services Ltd worker who claims he was injured at work last week has called on Government to intervene and end the dispute.

Apenisa Waqasaqa said he believed it was his faith in God that spared him from serious injury, after what he claimed was a forklift accident on Tuesday last week at Air Terminal Services bonded warehouse in Nadi.

He said he now supported his 250 colleagues who were in a dispute with management because he did not want anyone else to get hurt.

“I was standing at the security table where people come to pick up their goods from overseas when all of a sudden something hit my right leg and I went flying across the warehouse floor,” the 33-year-old said.

He claimed the forkift was driven by an unlicensed operator.

“I just thank God that it wasn’t worse,” he said.

“I’m just lucky that the pallet that was on the forks hit me and not the fork itself, otherwise I am not sure what would have happened.

“My supervisor rushed me to Dr Zen Lo’s surgery and was told that my Achilles had been injured.

“I was given a medical certificate and told to stay home until I fully recovered.”

He claimed the certificate was taken by ATS management to assist in compensation claims.

“I hope the problem between management and workers finishes soon because we don’t want other accidents like this or worse to happen again.”

Mr Waqasaqa said he had five kids and a wife who depended on him because he was the sole breadwinner in the family.

When queried a few days ago about the incident, ATS Acting CEO Hare Mani said he was unaware of the incident and the report was “news to me.”