CAL gets emergency injunction against pilots

Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has been granted an injunction by the Industrial Court against the Trinidad and Tobago Pilots Association (TTALPA), compelling pilots to return to work.

Cal filed an application for injunctive relief on Sunday after its pilots called out sick en masse, as a result of which the airline had to cancel 37 flights and inconvenience thousands of passengers.

On Sunday, the union denied media reports that it was striking, as it is illegal for pilots to engage in that type of action.

In a ruling by Industrial Court members Melvin Daniel, Albert Aberdeen and Bindimattie Mahabir, TTALPA has been "restrained from taking and/or continuing to take and/or participating howsoever in industrial action within the meaning of the Industrial Relations Act, Chapter 88:01...including calling in sick en masse."

The union has also been instructed to "instruct/ or direct" its membership that they are to "immediately report for duty as rostered and as they are required to do in the normal course of their employment."

The ruling also included a warning that a penal clause can be endorsed.

"If you the within named party no. 2 being the TT Airline Pilots Association or any of your members or howsoever otherwise known, classified, designated, categorised, called or described disobey this order you will be liable to the process of execution for the purpose of compelling you to obey same."

The court orders will continue until further notice.

On Monday morning, CAL notified passengers through Facebook that several international "recovery" flights had been confirmed.

Passengers using the domestic airbridge were told they would be accommodated on the inter-island ferry.