Colm caves, CAL pilots to get 4% salary increase

SEAN DOUGLAS AND GREGORY MCBURNIE

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert agreed to the four per cent wage-hike pilots had earlier sought at a public protest at Ministry of Finance, Port of Spain, on October 30. This climbdown from his initial rejection of the pilots' proposals earlier that day came after he wrongly said CAL pilots get $42,714 per month in allowances on top of their salaries, but later admitted his mistake.

The pilots have long argued they were the second-worst paid pilots in the region (after The Bahamas), but Imbert in his first statement had initially claimed they were "among the highest earning professionals in the region." He later blamed the incorrect figures on CAL, whom he said he expected to apologise.

Imbert, in his second statement, said, "However, having given this dispute careful consideration, in the interest of good industrial relations, the Minister of Finance has today authorised Caribbean Airlines to settle the September 2015 to August 2020 period with TTALPA (TT Airline Pilots Association) with a four per cent increase in salaries and to offer the pilots a further four per cent increase in salaries for the next bargaining period, that is to say, the September 2020 to August 2023 period."

In a first statement detailing his initial response to the pilots' protest, Imbert had outlined several reasons why he could not meet the pilots' position.

He had also attached to his first statement a copy of a four-page court judgement in the case of CAL vs the TT Airline Pilots Association, (dated August 2023) which restrained the pilots from participating in any industrial action including calling in sick en masse.

His first statement alleged pilot protests were occurring even though air transport was an essential service.

"This injunction remains in place, and it is expected that TTALPA and its members will respect the order of the court, and will not engage in absenteeism or sick-outs, or other forms of industrial action."

Imbert had offered a partial olive branch to the association.

"The minister wishes to reaffirm the Government's commitment to ensuring that fair, equitable, and reasonable collective agreements are reached in the best interest of all stakeholders while also considering the country’s economic realities, particularly Caribbean Airlines' current financial condition."

Initially he had said the Government could not afford to pay pilots the four per cent, owing to the burden of existing commitments to CAL.

Imbert had said while CAL might be heading for an operational profit, over the last nine years the ministry has taken over CAL’s debts and debt servicing obligations.

"In the last four years in particular, the ministry has provided the airline with billions of dollars in financial support in the aftermath of the covid19 pandemic.

"Further, the Ministry of Finance continues to subsidise the airline to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

"Just two months ago, the ministry paid for a spare engine for CAL’s Max-8 fleet, which cost the ministry US$18 million, or TT$122 million."

He said the latter had been unbudgeted expenditure for which the ministry had to "scramble" to source the required funding, but it did so because of the importance of CAL to the country.

In relation to negotiations between CAL and the pilots, he said the two sides had already agreed to close off on fifty non-cost-related matters.

Imbert then listed pilots' salaries as ranging from $22,818-$94,760 per month, but also wrongly alleged an extra $42,714 monthly in allowance (including per diem).

He said CAL pilots – junior and senior – had received consistent increases in compensation over the years.

"CAL has advised the minister that pilots are compensated through competitive salaries, allowances, and per diem rates that place them among the highest-earning professionals in the region. Since 2022, the airline has on-boarded 90 pilots.

"Overall, CAL has advised that pilot salaries account for 33 per cent of the airline’s payroll costs, while the pilot body comprises 13 per cent of the total workforce."

Imbert said a starter pilot gets $22,818 monthly and a senior pilot $94,760, with allowances adding to make "a robust package."

"The average increase between 2015 and 2024 would be 23.4 per cent from a salary in 2015 to 2024."

The low attrition rate of just 13 resignations since 2022 and one early retirement attested to the competitive nature of this package, he said.

"Since 2015 to present, pilots have received salary increases averaging 23.4 per cent, well above the national inflation rate."

CAL pilots had earlier said they were prepared for the ongoing wage impasse to reach the courts.

Their silent demonstration on October 30 at the Eric Williams Financial Complex on Independence Square in Port of Spain, followed their October 3 silent placard march at Piarco International Airport.

At their latest protest, the pilots lamented Imbert's lack of response to their October 14 proposals for the 2015-2020 negotiation period, while pilots still worked under the 2010-2015 collective labour agreement.

TTALPA trustee Keith Dowdy told Newsday although the negotiating period would end in November, the pilots were picketing to show their commitment to getting a fair collective agreement and dialogue, willing to accept the four per cent increase offered to public servants.

“CAL has already invested excessive amounts of money to expand, and in expansion you need the support of the pilots.

"We want to support the airline. We are patriots of the soil and we would like to see the matter resolved.”

He said without dialogue, CAL and the pilots would have a dysfunctional relationship.

“You cannot base an expansion and an investment on a relationship that is dysfunctional and expect success.

Dowdy said the pilots planned to continue to picket until they got a response, but were also prepared to go to the Ministry of Labour for conciliation talks, and then to the courts if no agreement is reached.

He declared the pilots had no plans for any illegal actions, even as the law prohibits the piloted from striking or protesting.

“The organisation will remain within the legal framework, because we have industrial consultants and senior counsel and we will not venture past any line that is considered even contentious.”

Dowdy warned, though, pilots are considering their future at the airline as competition in the region heats up.

“There are other players that are filling the void. An airline just started up in Grenada, and that should be our operation.

"We are allowing people to come in to the opportunity and take away some of the potential income. We have the opportunity and we are losing it.

“You will also lose pilots because they recognise there's no real future here at CAL.

"The quality of our pilots is known worldwide. The only reason they don't go elsewhere is because they don't want to live outside of their home. But they're reconsidering that, and we know for sure that we have pilots that will be leaving and others that will be following.”