[UPDATED] CAL pilots in placard protest at Piarco International Airport

OVER 30 Caribbean Airlines pilots, represented by the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA), staged a peaceful placard protest at the Piarco International Airport on the morning of October 3 over several issues, including overdue wage negotiations.

Speaking to the media, TTALPA vice chairman Jason Wickham said the pilots were there to express their displeasure that their collective agreement had expired nine years ago. He said all pilots present were off-duty, so no flights were affected.

“We are here today imploring the government and the line minister to please step in and approve the four per cent salary proposal that was given to CAL since July of this year.

"For the last nine years, TTALPA has been negotiating in good faith with the management of CAL and today, the pilots came out to express their dissatisfaction and displeasure with what is happening.

“Our international counterparts are receiving salary increases in the double digits, and in the spirit of good faith and our commitment to the people of TT, and to CAL, we have requested a four per cent salary increase which is in line with the government's mandate as sent to the CPO (Chief Personnel Officer) which other trade unions have benefited from.”

In a release later in the day, the union said the picket was in response to the ongoing frustrations stemming from CAL's lack of engagement regarding the pilot's salary proposal submitted on July 11, and the protracted negotiations surrounding the 2015-2020 collective agreement.

The pilots walked in front of and through the terminal holding large placards with such lines as: No Job Security, 20% Salary Cut Offered to Pilots, CAL Pilots Delivered During Difficult Times, Non-Nationals Paid More, and Nine Years with An Expired Contract.

In a release sent out after the pilots’ action, CAL said it was disappointed by the unexpected and disappointing action by the pilots.

It said agreements had been reached on several key matters and the pilots had received their annual increment of up to three per cent. The airline confirmed all flights and operations continued as scheduled.

In another release, which followed CAL's, TTALPA said despite the attempt by CAL via its media release to deflect, referencing its performance-related increment, which applies to an employee's individual performance (minimum one per cent-maximum three per cent), CAL had failed once again to address pilots’ concerns about the expired agreement and overall increases for the bargaining period.

“The airline had previously stated that it is awaiting instructions from the Minister of Finance, which leaves pilots questioning the reasonableness of the prolonged wait of approximately nine years without any finality of the collective agreement,” the release said.

The Finance Ministry and CPO Darryl Dindial could not be reached for comment.

TTALPA said it was indisputable that CAL pilots have made significant sacrifices, including bearing a staggering reduction in salary (as much as 57 per cent) to help sustain the airline, followed by the "unjustified" termination of pilots contrary to good industry practice.

TTALPA chairman Cap Larry Imamshah said the pilots hope to hear from the airline soon, as they want CAL to succeed and expand.

Retired director general of civil aviation Ramesh Lutchmedial said he was surprised to hear of the pilots’ action, as he was under the impression that things were going fine between the airlines and TTALPA over the new contract.

He said the union was doing what other unions would do, which was to do something dramatic to draw the public’s attention to the issues their members face.

“At the end of the day we’re dealing with a highly capital-and-labour-intensive industry. It’s very safety-sensitive and highly competitive, and therefore we need to work together collectively, both union and management, to be able to become in the first instance profitable, because the Finance Minister has said government and shareholders cannot support CAL indefinitely. There comes a time when they will have to become self-sufficient, and I think they’re heading in that direction.

“I would like to say CAL is on the cusp of profitability, they’re expanding their route network and now is not the time to have any industrial relations issues that could be disruptive and adversely affect their expansion programme,” Lutchmedial said.

Editor's Note: This is an update to an earlier story posted online at newsday.co.tt and which can be read below.

OVER 30 Caribbean Airlines pilots represented by the TT Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) protested at the Piarco International Airport on October 3 against overdue wage negotiations.

They said they had been working on expired contracts for the past nine years and were being paid less than non-national pilots. They also said they had no job security and had been offered a 20 per cent salary cut.

The union noted that all the pilots present were off-duty so no flights were affected.

Caribbean Airlines, in a release, said it was disappointed by the unexpected and disappointing action.

It said agreements had been reached on several key matters and the pilots had received their annual increment of up to three per cent.

The airline confirmed that all flights and operations continued as scheduled.