140 new guards for airports

This came out of a meeting between the Estate Police Association (EPA) and management of the AATT at the Airport Administrative Building, Piarco, on Monday, following several days of “sick-out” action by AATT security officers because of a breakdown in salary negotiation talks with the AATT.

The EPA has maintained that although over 90 percent of security staff were absent from duties for the period, this was a consequence of overwork and exhaustion and not a form of industrial action.

Armed police and soldiers assumed duty at the two international airports last Thursday and Friday following the sick-out. The police and soldiers picked up the regular duties of AATT security which included checking passports and travel documents at the check-in and departure areas of the airports.

Andrew Dardaine, president of the EPA, told Newsday yesterday the AATT management acknowledged that security officers were not on protest action on Thursday and Friday but were consequently suffering from exhaustion due to working long hours. As a result, he said, management had agreed to an intake of 140 recruits for training as security officers.

One hundred of them would be employed at Piarco and are expected to start a seven-week training programme in early September with the next 40 recruits for Crown Point commencing training by December. Dardaine said the new intake of officers will benefit from new salaries of $3,647, and should decrease the work load of present officers who at times work between 17 and 24 hours daily.

He described the meeting as successful, stating, “Right now everything is in order and we have no problem.”

He said the AATT had additionally agreed to settle outstanding payments due to officers from an Industrial Court ruling in favour of the EPA on May 2, 2005. He said payments would accrue to about $7,000 per officer and should be paid together with outstanding increments by August 31.

Dardaine added that management was awaiting guidelines from Chief Personnel Officer Narieman Hosein-Ahamad on a new collective agreement for the period, 2006 to 2008. This, he said, should be finalised later this week to be presented at another meeting between the EPA and AATT on August 15.