BWIA unions seek talks on LIAT merger

TWO OF the unions representing BWIA workers want to meet with the Inter-Ministerial Committee to discuss government’s decision to merge the national airline with LIAT. The Communications Transport and General Workers Trade Union (CATU) and the Allied Communication and Aviation Workers Trade Union (ACAWU) expressed disappointment at being left out of the discussions between the governments of Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda. CATU President Jagdeo Jagroop said the unions had received no word on the discussions. “We have to make positive contributions to these discussions,” he said. Christopher Abraham of ACAWU echoed Jagroop’s sentiments, and added that while the decision has been in the cards for a while, there is still a need to correspond with the unions. “We don’t have a problem with the combination of resources, but we do have a problem with being left out of the decision making process,” he said. “We represent the workers who are directly involved in this and will be affected by any decision made.”

Abraham said there was a great chance that the problems facing the airline would repeat themselves if the workers continued to be excluded. When asked whether or not he believed one regional carrier would benefit Trinidad and Tobago and the region at large, Abraham said: “We are still in the early days. We need more information before we can make a definite pronouncement on whether or not it would be beneficial,” he said. On Sunday, government announced the formation of a company to serve as the forerunner to an eventual merger between BWIA and LIAT. This agreement will pave the way for the incorporation of  Caribbean Airlines Holding Limited (CAHL) which will eventually hold shares in the restructured airlines.