More Air Jamaica job cuts

[Mosiah]

More Air Jamaica job cuts
2011-07-01 08:38:25 | with audio | (38 Comments)


Air Jamaica plane- file.Janet Silvera and Leaon Nash, Gleaner Writers

Another set of Air Jamaica workers is expected to be jobless as of today.

This as Caribbean Airlines takes over all operations at the airline.

The positions likely to go include ground handlers, information technology, flight operations and stores.

The airline’s reservations department is also being relocated to Trinidad and Tobago.

Up to news time, it was unclear as to how many persons would be out of a job.

The latest round of job cuts follows the termination of 54 positions in May and a long list of dismissals since Caribbean Airlines took over a year ago and promised a leaner operation.

Highly placed sources at the airline told our news center that the takeover has seen the majority of customer service staff having their positions downgraded to part-time.

At the same time, they have had to accept a cut of 50 per cent in salary.

Those who were retained from the previous cut were given two-month contracts which reportedly expired on Wednesday.

Those who signed Caribbean Airline contracts in May were given six-months’ probation, but it is not clear what is their current fate.

However, those kept on staff after today will now have to wear uniforms bearing the name Caribbean Airlines.

Meanwhile, the National Workers Union (NWU) which represents air Jamaica employees said the latest job cuts is unfortunate.

NWU Vice President Granville Valentine is also outraged at the salary cuts.

Valentine urged Labour Minister Pearnel Charles to intervene and ensure that a commitment given by him to protect Jamaican jobs is not jeopardised.

[TDowl]

Caribbean airlines it is.

"Valentine urged Labour Minister Pearnel Charles to intervene and ensure that a commitment given by him to protect Jamaican jobs is not jeopardised." Poor thing, I wonder if he could negotiate out of a wet paper bag, living a pipe dream.

[Mosiah]

a wha do dem, Assasin? Air J lose too much money every year. wi tiyad a dat! di country canna afford it!

[Assasin]

We definately can't afford it. Leggo REDjet.

Wasn't you the one calling for it to be CLOSED? How you can change so?

[Mosiah]

show me where in that post i indicated i changed my mind.

thanks in advance!

[TDowl]

Leggo RedJet.

[Assasin]

Well I don't understand your point then. You never expected CAL to keep the same level of staff knowing that they have their main operations in Trinidad.

Most Air J workers knew and some may even have been surprised they were offer 6 months contract. While I would like as much of them to keep their job it was always going to be a uphill task and even the unions know that.

How all of a sudden the unions can't help themselves?

I can only hope they can add a few routes by bringing more people to Kingston so that they can full planes to places like London, Atlanta etc where there are little or no flights to Kingston.

[TDowl]

Lucky if them nuh pull out of Jamaica eh.

[Assasin]

Sorry Mo. Mi first thought was that you were been sarcastic. I hope you see this.

Yes we deh pon the SAME page with this one.

[Karl]

Di unions?
...a joke yuh a joke Sass?

Ow a joke!
Likle Brucie a get people outta job an pan di road hat lightning speed!

...an Maubid an Lazie seh dem outta wuk people dem fool-fool fi vote fi PNP?

[Assasin]

So keep Air J running, losing how many billions? It is easier to use that to pay more teachers. what you think?

[Karl]

So keep Air J running, losing how many billions? It is easier to use that to pay more teachers. what you think?

Why do you think there is no person or set of persons who could run an Air Jamaica?

...Sass: I said before looooooooooooooooog before that our problem is lack of good management. I went further and said that the party that comes to power and supply good management would be in power for a very, very, very looog loooong. Only when that party become arrogant and thus lose the ability to manage as they should would it lose power.

You have a poor memory - I told you what Likle Brucie would do if he came to power...fire people...as did Seaga...drive up poverty levels...put more people on the streets and point to great GDP figures and claim the country had great economic growth...just as Seaga.

The vast majority under such leadership "nyaam salt". I lived in Jamaica and had friends and friends of my family nyaaan salt while Seaga ruled.
I know what happened.

I also told you what Likle Brucie should do - not turn people into the streets...but demand efficiency! ...make the quasi-government entities, the GOJ entities...improve services...

Sass I was there when J.O.S. was destroyed. All it needed was improvement of efficiency.

...I also told Likle Brucie would do exactly as we are seeing and I told you the outcome - 1 term JLP government.

Yuh figet wah mi benna seh fi yeeeeeeeeeears bout the numbers leaving the education institutions each year...who have not a hope of employment...but rather that there shall be increasing numbers of under-employed and unemployed.

Yuh figet dat mi di seh di fool-fool repair ave di same pice a road ebry year...rather than fixing well and year by year fixed new pieces wi tek wi tuh all-island good roads? ...an what dat wi mean?

...an dat di road wuk remind mi wen mi di innah printing an ow dat a wan 300% mark up business? ...an wah guh-aaan a Govt. Printing Office? ...an dat gwaan innah ebry ting government angle?

...mi tell bout ow man cum wid gun innah im waaase wen mi did deh a Success All-Age an seh mi mus sign aff pan wuk dat never di dun or dun rite...yes, mi sign...but a dem type a inefficiency dat stunt di growth a di country an kep bock ebrywaaan ...a nuh fire dem fi fire...a demand dem mus demand efficiency.

...

[Karl]

...btw - the periods of great 'posperity' (kiss teet)

unda di JLP ebrytime followed by increased aggression in how people interact.

...wah mi seh...di JLP move wi ha-lang tuh-wards nyaan heach odda! Wen man si im pickney a bawl fi ungry...wah yuh tink im a guh duh aftah im stap bawl and sorry fi imself?


Yees, yuh rite!
...nyaan (hout) nex man!!

[Assasin]

How long has Air Jamaica been around? How many years of profit it has.

Do you realise the amount of capital Air J needed to even survive?

JOS a small fish to this. The people who can run Air J nuh want it because the oppurtunity cost of making a profit here is greater in other industries.

Govt running Airline is not a profitable thing right now.

[Karl]

How long has Air Jamaica been around? How many years of profit it has.

Do you realise the amount of capital Air J needed to even survive?

JOS a small fish to this. The people who can run Air J nuh want it because the oppurtunity cost of making a profit here is greater in other industries.

Govt running Airline is not a profitable thing right now.

Isn't the popular sentiment governments cannot run anything?
Something along the lines that the employees are not human?

Right?

Do you see something wrong with claims that once the person is employed in the private sector efficiency is a given?

...but move to employment in the public sector and suddenly the same person becomes inefficient?

Well my simple request is proper managing of the airline. It is for the government of the day to demand same.

...but it is not Air Jamaica ...it is everything governments are 'hired' to do! Wi...dem nuh suh-madi pickney tuh? Well just, do it!