BWIA, union talks break down

This was disclosed yesterday by Aviation Communication and Allied Workers Union (ACAWU) president Curtis John who said he will hold a news conference at the Aero Services Credit Union in Tacarigua at 10 am today, to give details about the breakdown in talks.

Flight attendants met yesterday with BWIA management at Sunjet House for negotiations around 2 pm. However two hours later, they emerged from the meeting to indicate that their talks had been aborted because the airline said it was not prepared to negotiate under duress.

John told Newsday that meetings with his union’s executive and BWIA’s ground staff which were scheduled to take place at Sunjet House today have also been cancelled. He said the workers were very upset over this development and will ventilate their feelings outside Sunjet House today.

John said during a meeting of the union in Tacarigua on Wednesday, the workers expressed dissatisfaction with certain proposals advanced by the airline in the negotiations. He also claimed that BWIA is refusing to give the union a copy of the restructuring plan for the airline.

BWIA CEO Peter Davies is currently out of the country until next week and other airline officials contacted by Newsday, did not want to respond to the union’s charges.