BWIA ‘rents’ planes for London, NY

The Aviation Communication and Allied Workers Union (ACAWU) yesterday charged that this move was an attempt by BWIA’s management to intimidate the workers who are frustrated over the delay in completing negotiations and the company’s refusal to provide them with copies of a business plan for BWIA.

ACAWU president Curtis John told Newsday yesterday the union received information that BWIA had wetleased Boeing 737 aircraft from North American Airways and Miami Air for its London and New York routes respectively.

Contacted yesterday, BWIA officials confirmed the planes were wetleased for the London and New York routes. The officials were unable to give the cost of the wetlease arrangements but said they would be continued “as long as neccessary” to ensure BWIA passengers reach their destinations on time with minimum disruptions.

BWIA reported that all of its flights left on time yesterday and the only change to today’s flight schedule was BW 526 to Barbados and New York, which now leaves at noon instead of 9 pm.

The airline said this change was made to bring its flight schedule back in line after its operations were adversely affected by a sudden and abnormal rise in sick leave by employees on Saturday. John denied the reports of illness were not part of any sickout action by workers and ACAWU has given no such directive. John said as far as he was aware, all BWIA employees reported for duty today.

He said workers are continuing normal lunch-time picketing at BWIA’s offices in Port-of-Spain and Piarco to protest the slow pace of negotiations for new collective agreements for the period 2001 to 2007. John added that ACAWU would only advocate a total shutdown of BWIA as “a last resort” and he remained hopeful that BWIA would return to the negotiating table soon. On Sunday, Public Administration and Information Minister Dr Lenny Saith said there was no need for Government to get involved in BWIA’s affairs at this time. He was confident that the company and the unions would resolve their differences.