KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves Tuesday urged pilots with the regional airline, LIAT, to return to their jobs, warning that their industrial action could result in the cash-strapped airline losing “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in revenue.
Gonsalves, who is chair of three shareholder governments of the Antigua-based airline, described the industrial action by the pilots as “unfortunate” adding that they were “shooting themselves in their feet”.
He said the sickout was in “solidarity” with Captain Michael Blackburn, who was dismissed by LIAT with immediate effect on Monday.
Blackburn, who is also the Chairman of the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA), confirmed to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that he had received a termination letter from the airline, but was not in a position to discuss it.
Gonsalves was among passengers throughout the region affected by the sick out. He had planned to travel to St. Lucia for the swearing in of the Cabinet of his colleague Dr. Kenny Anthony.
LIAT, which operates 110 flights daily, warned commuters that they would face delays or cancellations as a result of the industrial action.
“Customers affected by the disruptions who wish to rebook will be allowed to do so without charge for a period of one week from the date of their original scheduled travel.
“Following the one-week grace period, passengers will be required to pay applicable fare and change fees when re-booking. Passengers who are unable to travel as planned due to the industrial action, at their request, will be issued a full credit for future travel,” the airline said, apologising to “affected passengers and the general public for any inconvenience caused as a result of the action by its pilots”.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said he expects to receive a report from the airline’s chief executive officer, Brian Challenger, on the impact of the industrial strike.
Commenting on Blackburn’s dismissal, Gonsalves, who also has ministerial responsibilities for air transpiration, said the region’s laws make provisions for people to seek redress if they feel they were dismissed unfairly.
He also said that the strike had severely affected commerce and other services within the region.
“You don’t close down an airline because a pilot has been dismissed. Basically you are shooting yourself in the foot. The pilots are shooting themselves in the feet.
“LIAT is already, as a financial operation, marginal. It does a tremendous essential service across the region. … The pilots have to be responsible. You don’t pull a sickout; you don’t pull a strike in circumstances where essentially you have an essential service,” Prime Minister Gonsalves said.
He said it will be the same pilots “who will ask for more wages, better working conditions.
“But if you make the airline lose as they would lose today and if it continues tomorrow – I don’t know how long — lose hundreds of thousands of dollars, it is affecting everybody.
“It will affect the governments who are shareholders, it will affect the workers who can’t get additional numeration,” he added.
Gonsalves said that it is unfortunate that the industrial action comes at a time when a Caribbean government, which he did not name, has promised to invest in LIAT.
“Now, where, finally we are persuading some other government to provide equity, or hopefully, market support, you are now having this kind of stunt being pulled,” said Gonsalves, who described Blackburn as his “friend”.
He said that LIAT management does not have to and did not consult him in respect of their decision to dismiss Blackburn, since it is a management rather than policy decision.
“And any kinds of prior knowledge that one would have … you have a feel of what may happen but it is not a policy issue. It is a matter for the management.
“I know that a letter had been sent to them and Mr. Blackburn’s lawyer also received a copy and I have not myself seen the letter,” he said.
“… so it is unfortunate that the pilots pull this solidarity, sympathetic sickout and I am hoping that they’ll get back to work at the earliest time today rather than later,” Gonsalves said.
