LIAT pilots raise fears about crime in TTSunday, March 16 2008
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ANTIGUA: Chairman of the Leeward Island Air Line Pilots Association (LIALPA) Captain Michael Blackburn said the body will not be supporting any arrangements for the establishment of a new base in Trinidad until they get a chance to evaluate the relevant studies.
According to the Antigua Sun newspaper, Blackburn said while the carrier was within its right to establish a base in Trinidad, it must first address the concerns of the workers who would be expected to move there.
“I have not had access to the evaluation done on the proposal. We have to agree on a new salary system for pilots to go to Trinidad and if they are going to attempt to force that down, there going to be very strong resistance from the pilots,” Blackburn stated. The chairman explained that the collective agreement with LIAT allows the company to open bases, but it is so structured that to move a pilot out of the existing bases requires an agreement with LIALPA as far as spending is concerned.
The Antigua Sun newspaper said that other issues articulated by Blackburn include the personal security of workers who would have to move to Trinidad and the cost of living in that country. “The pilots who would have to move to Trinidad will have to get a different salary to live there. It will be challenging if there is no security arrangement, there has to be an allowance or some kind of risk pay,” Blackburn added.
“We are talking about a country with the third highest murder rate, we are talking about the government in Trinidad and Tobago clearly declaring that crime is out of control, we have the Canadian government, the United States government and the British government issuing a travel warning to their citizens.”
Besides that issue, Blackburn said the pilots have no faith in the flight management team at LIAT explaining that the airline’s management needs to be reorganised.The regional airline is encountering some challenges to its plans to establish a new base of operations in Trinidad.
Plans to open the new base within three months are being met with some resistance by workers based in Antigua and in Barbados. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Darby said he is hopeful that common sense would prevail, adding that LIAT is missing out on huge potential earnings by delaying the establishment of the third base. Darby pointed out that LIAT continues to incur huge bills in Trinidad for the provision of nightly hotel accommodation for 24 crew members. He explained that it is too expensive and inconvenient for the crew because it means that more and more of them are spending nights away from home.
The CEO feels the proposal is a strong business case and also a case for LIAT employees to make the necessary changes, the Antigua Sun stated.
