CASTRIES, St Lucia – The National Workers Union (NWU) says the regional airline, LIAT, should consider reducing its “top heavy” management team in Antigua and Barbuda as a more effective way of reducing the airlines expenditure.
“We want to suggest that is the way to go rather than once again laying off line staff, we call on LIAT to find a more acceptable solution to laying-off from its Castries office scores of workers who have made numerous sacrifices for the company over the years,” said the NWU’s Grievance Officer Lawrence Poyotte.
The NWU official was reacting to the decision by the Antigua-based airline to close its offices across several Caribbean islands leaving an estimated 100 workers on the breadline.
Poyotte, who was among regional trade unionists that met with the airline’s management in Barbados earlier this week, said the unions are of the opinion that the airline has a very top management team that should be reduced.
“While we recognize the importance of the changes taking place in the industry we believe that through dialogue there could be a position arrived at that is in the interest of all concerned,” he said.
“We are not convinced that the recommendations coming from the company for the closure of the offices will redound to a solution to LIAT’s problems, because what they are saying that it is costing them US$4.1 million to operate but they would save US$3 million, but at least US$35 million is going through the city offices.
“We also say that we need to know what the long term projections are because many persons are of the opinion that one of the biggest cost factors for LIAT apart from the increase in oil prices is the top heavy management in Antigua.
“So if we are going to be doing something to save LIAT let us take a comprehensive approach and not a piecemeal approach bearing in mind that a few years ago LIAT reduced its staff from over 900 to about 600 and in a short space of time they are now back up to 936,” he added.
Poyotte said it appears that many of the initiatives by the company are failing and what the company keeps doing is “going through a revolving door rather than taking a firm position as to how to address the situation once and for all”. (CMC)
