265 Air Terminal Services workers who were laid off during COVID-19 three years ago will be starting work soon after an agreement signed between the ATS Board and Federated Airlines Staff Association.
ATS Board Chair Shradha Sharma says 130 to 170 staff will be starting immediately while others will come back in stages.
Sharma says these workers will be given $5,000 as a goodwill payment.
She says the workers have already started the police clearance and medical exams and they are just waiting for the agreement to be signed and they hope to give out employment letters next week.
Sharma says they need these workers back as they are hugely understaffed.
She says they met with Fiji Airways yesterday and have assured them that ATS is getting all those workers back and these are mainly in areas of catering, cargo, essential services where there is a huge shortfall and this is leading to delays in flights.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad says his understanding is that the current workers are not going to be affected.
