PSU claims AIA not serious about averting strike action

The Public Service Union (PSU), has questioned the seriousness of the management of the Argyle International Airport (AIA), in averting threatened industrial action by aggrieved workers, with their request to meet after the union’s general elections to be held later this month.

The back and forth between the two organizations came to a head late last month when the PSU, in a press release, gave management of the AIA two weeks to make retroactive payments owed by April 12, 2024, or have workers withdraw their service.

The union, which represents the majority of the more than 200 workers at the AIA accused the management of failing to meet promises on retroactive payments on salaries dating back to 2016 when workers moved from the now decommissioned E.T Joshua Airport to the Argyle International Airport. The union agreed on a forfeiture of payment for the years 2016 to 2018, and the increment for 2019 amounting to 1.5 percent of the AIA workers’ salary, paid in January, 2023. The union had said they expected the retroactive payments for 2020 through to 2022 to be paid as well.

However, the AIA recently responded to the union in a letter dated March 27, 2024, claiming that they had honoured the agreement with the union, adding that the increment aligns with the terms outlined in the collective agreement and according to the 2020 revised employee manual “increment increases are contingent upon the financial standing of our organization”.

The AIA management had proposed three dates to meet with the PSU executive, April 17, 19, or 25, in light of the union’s general elections slated for April 23 and 24.

Speaking at a press briefing on April 2, 2024, PSU president, Elroy Boucher described the AIA’s request to meet after the union’s general elections as absurd.

“Why don’t we meet on the 25th or something around? It’s that response from AIA shows that they really don’t understand industrial relations. They don’t know how trade unions operate, or they’re not taking this matter very seriously, because if you have an ultimatum to settle an outstanding matter by a certain date, then why would you want to meet to settle the matter long after the ultimatum? It is the most absurd thing I’ve really ever read.”

Boucher said if management is serious about settling the issue then a meeting will be called this week before the elections take place.

He explained that the retroactive component of the payments amounted to around EC$40,000 and the union has tried repeatedly to work with the AIA management to settle the amount.

Boucher said a few years ago, planned industrial action by the union was called off as the AIA indicated an interest for dialogue and the shutdown of the airport did not occur. He said he believed that not following through with the strike at the time is perhaps one of the reasons why the AIA has not yet decided to settle the outstanding issues.

“The workers, up to today, have held us accountable for such a decision, because they were not happy with it. They are of the view that, because we called off that action, that is why the AIA is behaving the way it is behaving. All of the workers were ready to address the issue. When we called off that action…we balanced the responsibilities of the AIA nationally. We never got anything for calling off that action.”

Boucher said workers have indicated their commitment to the industrial action on the selected days, which the PSU indicated would occur on either a Monday or Wednesday as these are both high-traffic days for the airport.