On standby

UWU says airport workers ready to strike over PPP plan By Jenique Belgrave Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) employees represented by the Unity Workers Union (UWU) are wary about the new public-private partnership (PPP) Government intends to enter to expand the facility and are on standby to take action if it does not work out in their favour. UWU General Secretary Caswell Franklyn served notice of this as he told Barbados TODAY there was still too much uncertainty regarding how the developments would impact the employees’ conditions of service and they were “ready and waiting to take action”. Government last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) towards a PPP with the Office of Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum of Dubai and Agencias Universales S.A. of Chile. It is hoping to sign a $300 million deal by mid-October on the new arrangement for investment, development and operation of the airport, a hemispheric hub for cargo, expanded airlift and additional luxury hotel capacity. Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill has given assurances that current airport workers will not be disadvantaged as a result of the PPP, pointing out that “a critical component of this potential PPP is that there will be no change in ownership of our airport and no change in the terms and conditions of employees”. However, Franklyn said while promises have been given to the UWU and the two other bargaining agents which represent airport staff, doubts still lingered in employees’ minds. “I can assure you that the workers are still not happy and they are still thinking about taking action because they do not believe what is in the MOU,” he said. While acknowledging that an MOU is not an agreement but a starting point of negotiations between the parties, the veteran trade unionist expressed his belief that the PPP was already “a done deal” and said the employees were paying close attention to the situation. “Workers are ready and waiting to take action. They are looking to see what is happening next and at the first misstep, workers are going to be on the line again,” he warned. Franklyn claimed that last week’s MOU announcement had only been made to head off a protest planned by workers to voice complaints about the lack of information about the airport expansion plans. Last week, the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) which represents most of the staff at the airport said its members had informed the union, at a meeting held a day after the MOU announcement, that they were anxious “about their future job security and possible changes in terms and conditions of service”. “They needed more education and information on the proposed and possible offers that workers can have an investment or financial stake in the management of the airport,” NUPW General Secretary Richard Greene told Barbados TODAY. “Other concerns were whether there would be offers of separation packages, enhanced or not. They have a concern, too, about their entitlements as employees, and the options available to them, whether they have a choice of continuing employment with the public-private partnership.” jeniquebelgrave@barbadostoday.bb]]>