Wednesday 15th August 2012: The New National Party wishes to empathize with all visitors to Grenada as well as the travelling public, over the full strike action taken by LIAT workers based at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) in Grenada, which commenced from midday on Tuesday 14th August. This action was due to the nonpayment of long overdue wages for overtime work and meal allowances to the workers.
This short-lived full strike action on Tuesday afternoon by the trades union representing the LIAT employees (TAWU) is one that has caused untold inconvenience to visitors and potential visitors during last year’s carnival and now the issue is once again confronting our country which will no doubt cause significant hardships once again to visitors, the business sector, our carnival product and indeed continued long term damage to our country’s reputation.
The New National Party is particularly concerned that the Tillman Thomas Government has been unable to negotiate a settlement between LIAT and the Union over the past two years and has simply resigned itself as a stakeholder partner in this ongoing dispute, indeed the plight of the workers at LIAT seems to be furthest from the agenda of the NDC Government. In particular at a time when all Grenadians would be preparing to return their children to school and with Grenada’s continuing worsening economic situation causing untold hardships on these workers and their families.
Meanwhile , we are reliably informed that Management and junior staff at the MBIA are handling flights in and out of Grenada as of today Tuesday 15th , so as to minimize the disruption and inconvenience to travelers.
We again urge the Government to take an active part in this outstanding issue and to cause an early settlement , mutually beneficial to all parties.
Grenadians would recall the recent two month strike action between the Grenada Breweries Limited and workers represented by TAWU, while the Government stood almost impotent in its ability as a stakeholder partner and shareholder to bring about a speedy resolution to the dispute.
As a responsible Opposition Party, we therefore call on the NDC Government as a shareholder of LIAT and stakeholder partner in this dispute, to immediately broker a creative permanent solution to this long outstanding issue to the benefit of all parties concerned and in particular the Grenada based workers of LIAT.
We also call on the Government to immediately arrange with LIAT, so that Caribbean Airlines or other Carriers could accept the ticket stock from LIAT passengers, travelling in and out of Grenada between the two main gateway points of Trinidad and Barbados, as a temporary protective measure for passengers . The Government has a responsibility to even issue a guarantee, in this matter to the airlines mentioned above , and to diligently force an immediate settlement between LIAT and the workers.
