The two parties involved in the Air Terminal Services standoff along with the mediation team hope to return to the discussion table today after failing to reach common ground in the negotiations which resumed last Wednesday.
Acting CEO Hare Mani says they are hopeful that something will eventuate this week.
He says that the other camp continue to want a modification to the acknowledgment letter which return workers have to sign.
Mani says the other party wants workers to return to work without loss of pay or to receive a warning letter.
He has confirmed that the 26 workers that have returned to work have each been given a warning letter as a consequence of them abandoning their workstations on the 16th of last month.
ATS Employees Trust Secretary Vili Finau says the warning letter continues to have the wordings from the original letter which they do not accept.
Finau says until this issue is addressed, talks will continue to be at a standstill.
More than 200 workers are still suspended.
Meanwhile, ATS maintains that the workers who return after striking are not being victimised.
ATS says upon returning, workers have admitted that they had been influenced, misguided or misinformed resulting in the action they took.
A statement by ATS says that many ATS workers have now left the picket line and remain at home.
It says that the workers know what they did was wrong but are uncertain about returning due to union and political pressure.
ATS says with their payday today, workers on strike will find nothing going into their bank accounts.
It says they will find difficulty paying bills, servicing loans, buying groceries and making the necessary preparations for their children’s return to school in less than 2 weeks time.
ATS maintains that the workers not at work have been misguided by union and ATS Employees Trust leaders.
The company maintains that it is not okay to walk off the job without permission, it is not okay to be absent from duty without approved leave and that they have not been locked out.
ATS says the workers are currently suspended for their actions and they can return to work after signing the Return to Work Letter which clearly states that they will not be sacked for walking off their jobs.
