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Air Jamaica employees strike
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Image The national airline Air Jamaica is in turmoil Wednesday morning with just 48 hours to go before it is sold to Trinidad's Caribbean Airlines.
Air Jamaica employees at the two major airports, the Sangster International Airport in St. James and the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, stopped working.
Reports are that various categories of workers downed tools they learned that some positions had been made redundant.
One thousand 600 positions are to be made redundant come Friday in time for the handover to Caribbean Airlines.
Travellers were warned to brace for disruptions after unions representing the workers instructed them to take industrial action in the form of a sit-in.
The instructions were issued on Tuesday night following concerns about the manner in which the Lovebird is being sold and the lack of respect being shown to employees.
With two days to go before ownership of the airline is transferred to Caribbean Airlines, the unions are incensed that they have still not received a detailed list of the number of workers that will be retained by the new owners.
They are also concerned that there has been no word on how the sale will impact the workers' statutory deductions and existing benefits such as health insurance.
Vice President of the National Workers Union, Granville Valentine, says all categories of Air Jamaica workers in Kingston and Montego Bay will participate in Wednesday's protest.
"...pilots, flight attendants, reservations, customer service, maintenance workers, management, non-management, supervisory, technocal staff, ramp attendants, just about every category," Mr. Valentine said.
He says normality will return only when all the outstanding issues are addressed.
And the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, which represents flight attendants at Air Jamaica is warning that the airline is in an extreme state of uncertainty.
"Well the airline has always been in turmoil but it is festering now so there has to be some clarification as to whether or not the questions we are asking will the answers be supplied by the Government of Jamaica and the management of the airline," Mr. Gayle said.
Our news centre has learnt that while some workers have received offer letters to work with Caribbean Airlines when it takes over on Friday, others have been asked to hand over their identification cards and uniforms.
One thousand 600 workers' positions will be made redundant come Friday.
Image
Labour Minister Pearnel Charles.
Stand-by
In the meantime, the Ministry of Labour is on stand-by to prevent a total shutdown of Air Jamaica on Wednesday morning.
Minister Pearnel Charles says the airline's management and trade union officials are scheduled to meet in a few hours to discuss concerns raised by the airline's employees.
Mr. Charles told our news centre that if the unions are still not satisfied after the talks his Ministry will step in.
"Well we expect that the meeting with the company and the union will satisfy the union based on what they have written. If after the meeting they require further intervention, the Ministry of Labour will assist," Mr. Charles said.
Details of the deal
Meanwhile, the country will hear details of the sale of Air Jamaica on Wednesday.
Chairman of Air Jamaica and head of the Divestment Sub-Committee, Dennis Lalor and President of the airline Bruce Nobles will lead a press conference scheduled for one o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Airlines, Ian Brunton, will also be in attendance.
In addition to the press conference, Finance Minister Audley Shaw will make a detailed statement on the airline's divestment in Parliament on May 4.
Tuesday Mr. Shaw announced that Cabinet had approved the terms of an Agreement for the Divestment of the operations of Air Jamaica to Caribbean Airlines effective April 30.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Image The national airline Air Jamaica is in turmoil Wednesday morning with just 48 hours to go before it is sold to Trinidad's Caribbean Airlines.
Air Jamaica employees at the two major airports, the Sangster International Airport in St. James and the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, stopped working.
Reports are that various categories of workers downed tools they learned that some positions had been made redundant.
One thousand 600 positions are to be made redundant come Friday in time for the handover to Caribbean Airlines.
Travellers were warned to brace for disruptions after unions representing the workers instructed them to take industrial action in the form of a sit-in.
The instructions were issued on Tuesday night following concerns about the manner in which the Lovebird is being sold and the lack of respect being shown to employees.
With two days to go before ownership of the airline is transferred to Caribbean Airlines, the unions are incensed that they have still not received a detailed list of the number of workers that will be retained by the new owners.
They are also concerned that there has been no word on how the sale will impact the workers' statutory deductions and existing benefits such as health insurance.
Vice President of the National Workers Union, Granville Valentine, says all categories of Air Jamaica workers in Kingston and Montego Bay will participate in Wednesday's protest.
"...pilots, flight attendants, reservations, customer service, maintenance workers, management, non-management, supervisory, technocal staff, ramp attendants, just about every category," Mr. Valentine said.
He says normality will return only when all the outstanding issues are addressed.
And the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, which represents flight attendants at Air Jamaica is warning that the airline is in an extreme state of uncertainty.
"Well the airline has always been in turmoil but it is festering now so there has to be some clarification as to whether or not the questions we are asking will the answers be supplied by the Government of Jamaica and the management of the airline," Mr. Gayle said.
Our news centre has learnt that while some workers have received offer letters to work with Caribbean Airlines when it takes over on Friday, others have been asked to hand over their identification cards and uniforms.
One thousand 600 workers' positions will be made redundant come Friday.
Image
Labour Minister Pearnel Charles.
Stand-by
In the meantime, the Ministry of Labour is on stand-by to prevent a total shutdown of Air Jamaica on Wednesday morning.
Minister Pearnel Charles says the airline's management and trade union officials are scheduled to meet in a few hours to discuss concerns raised by the airline's employees.
Mr. Charles told our news centre that if the unions are still not satisfied after the talks his Ministry will step in.
"Well we expect that the meeting with the company and the union will satisfy the union based on what they have written. If after the meeting they require further intervention, the Ministry of Labour will assist," Mr. Charles said.
Details of the deal
Meanwhile, the country will hear details of the sale of Air Jamaica on Wednesday.
Chairman of Air Jamaica and head of the Divestment Sub-Committee, Dennis Lalor and President of the airline Bruce Nobles will lead a press conference scheduled for one o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Airlines, Ian Brunton, will also be in attendance.
In addition to the press conference, Finance Minister Audley Shaw will make a detailed statement on the airline's divestment in Parliament on May 4.
Tuesday Mr. Shaw announced that Cabinet had approved the terms of an Agreement for the Divestment of the operations of Air Jamaica to Caribbean Airlines effective April 30.
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