Compensation Package by Air Terminal Services for Workers Affected by COVID-19-Related Terminations Totals Over $6 Million

Air Terminal Services (ATS) has announced a comprehensive compensation package valued at $6,082,754 for employees who were impacted by terminations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The package, revealed in coordination with the Fijian Government, addresses various categories of affected workers, including those who were reinstated, medically unfit, retirees, and contracted employees.

Breakdown of the Compensation Package:

Reinstated Employees: 176 employees will receive 1.5 years’ gross base pay, amounting to a total of $4,327,844.

Medically Unfit Employees: 4 employees deemed medically unfit will each receive an ex gratia payment of $5,000, totaling $22,200.

Retirees and Voluntary Early Retirees: 61 individuals will receive $5,000 each as a goodwill payment, totaling $338,550.

Contracted Employees: 157 contracted workers will receive pro-rata ex gratia payments, with:

$8,000 for those terminated and rejoined before 31 December 2021, and

$6,000 for those rejoining between 1 January and 31 December 2022.

The initiative was praised as a meaningful gesture by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Hon. Biman Prasad, who described the package as more than financial redress.

“This compensation is more than a payout — it is a gesture of reconciliation, of acknowledgement, and of respect. It is our way of turning a page together,” said Hon. Prasad.