ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – LIAT officials are estimating the airline company lost approximately EC$350 000 as a result of sickout action by pilots last Friday (May 22).
According to Corporate Communications Manager Desmond Brown, the cost was due to a number of factors, including compensation for affected passengers and overtime payment for staff.
“The costs are related to accommodation, transport, meals, airport overtime, staff overtime, charters, positioning costs (aircraft and crew), passenger claims and flight interruption manifests or requests to carry passengers on other airlines,” he informed.
The sickout, which was executed by pilots due to their frustration at a delay in contract negotiations, resulted in the cancellation of 11 flights in various islands including St. Lucia, Martinique and Curacao.
To get them back on the job, LIAT filed an injunction on Friday in the Antigua and Barbuda Industrial Court to prevent further industrial action. Chairman of the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) Michael Blackburn revealed on Monday (May 25) that the association would challenge the injunction.
The Antigua Sun reported that the pilots have been negotiating for a new contract as well as settlement of issues of overtime and public holiday pay. According to Blackburn, LIAT had agreed to settle the contract issue by March 31 or take the matter to arbitration. However, the deadline came and went with management seemingly disinterested in making progress on the issue.
In response, Brown said LIAT would continue to negotiate for new collective agreements with LIALPA and other trade unions representing its other employees. But he stressed the talks had come at a tough time, declaring that “LIAT is certainly not in a position of financial strength”.
“These negotiations are being held as the airline industry faces one of the most difficult periods in aviation history, and LIAT has not escaped the current global economic downturn and travel slump,” noted the Manager.
