The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has come out in support of national carrier Fiji Airways after the airline was criticised for flight crew accommodations amid an ongoing industrial dispute involving hotel workers in Canada.
In response to queries from this newspaper, the ministry said thorough consultations were carried out with Fiji Airways to ascertain the facts.
“The hotel currently facing protests is not the one utilised by the Fiji Airways for crew accommodation,” the ministry stated.
“Our crew accommodations remain unaffected by the ongoing dispute. The disagreement appears to be confined to a specific group of employees at the Sheraton. Many workers have chosen to cross union picket lines and continue their duties as usual.”
The ministry stated it had also directly communicated with crew members who recently operated flights to Vancouver, in consultation with Fiji Airways.
However, none of the staff has reported encountering picket lines or witnessing harassment of hotel guests. In addition, the ministry has emphasised that the safety and wellbeing of all Fiji Airways crew members during layovers, is of paramount interest, and inclusive of precautionary measures and security arrangements.
“The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation supports our national airline in these efforts. We appreciate the decision by Fiji Airways on crew safety particularly in challenging circumstances,” the ministry stated.
“We hope for a swift and fair resolution to the labour dispute in Canada, respecting the rights and needs of all parties involved.”
