Unions condemn CAL, Labour Minister over retrenchment

THREE trade union federations have joined forces to condemn the decision by cash-strapped Caribbean Airlines Ltd to retrench 450 workers. The unions want a ceasefire on the issue.

They have also raised their against the airline for failing to recognise the Aviation Communication and Allied Workers Union (ACAWU) as the recognised majority union (RMU).

They also jointly condemned Labour Minister Stephen Mc Clashie for statements which alluded to the airline having no obligation to recognise ACAWU as such.

In a statement, the Joint Trade Unions Movement (JTUM), Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUN) and the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) accused Mc Clashie of favouring the employer instead of being an objective mediator.

“He has once again shown his lack of understanding of what is takes to be the Labour Minister.

“We wish to remind the minister that under the IRA (Industrial Relations Act) he has a responsibility to provide conciliation services which requires him to always be objective or seen to be objective.”

ACAWU is yet to receive official notice of the retrenchment exercise.

Saying that CAL must engage ACAWU, the unions referred to the 2017 Industrial Court ruling that CAL was the successor company to British West Indies Airways Ltd (BWIA), “carrying on the same operations, in substantially the same way, with substantially the same employees” and, therefore eligible to represent the airline workers.

It said CAL has the right to give compulsory recognition to ACAWU and a duty to meet and treat with the bargaining body.

“CAL must therefore meet with ACAWU and provide information detailing its intentions and plans as it relates to all workers belonging to the bargaining unit they represent.”

ACAWU is an affiliate of JTUM.

The airline has appealed the decision and is awaiting judgement.

In the interim, ACAWU’s general secretary Peter Farmer is worried about retrenched workers having to undertake individual negotiations as the company refuses to recognise their role to bargain for them.

“We note that CAL and the TT Government have chosen to pay more respect to the Jamaican citizens than the citizens of this country, by denying the workers and ACAWU their implicit right to union representation and collective bargaining.

“A confirmed example is their refusal during the layoffs to rotate Trinidad and Tobago staff so that each worker not only earns some money to keep their families going, but to also keep their licenses current.

“They now have to spend money on training them to bring them up to date.”

However, the unions argued that the Jamaican workers were rotated.

The union leaders weighed in on the 700-plus workers laid off without pay for the past nine months who are yet to receive a salary relief grant from the Social Development Ministry.

Lay-offs were done in three-month periods from October 2020, January and April 2021.