Australia's union movement is demanding the Government increase its efforts to ensure the release Air Pacific junior pilot Sheland Scott, held in a Fijian jail. Scott is held in custody in relation to allegations he breached his contract with the national carrier. However, Australia's Transport Workers Union suspect that Scott, who is secretary of Fiji's pilots union, was arrested after documents were made public that indicate Air Pacific hired a US law firm to help the military-backed regime draft its essential services decree, enacted last month, which limits union power and the ability to take strike action. TWU has called on Qantas, which owns 46% of Air Pacific, to explain is if it has knowledge of the decree. TWU federal secretary Tony Sheldon says he wants Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd to fly to Fiji and help secure Scott’s release. Richard Marles, parliamentary secretary for Pacific Island affairs, says the Government is already doing “everything it can to pursue the best interests of this man in question”.
More action needed to secure the release of pilot held in Fijian jail
