NUPW signals further action as wage dispute drags on

Workers staged a protest at the Grantley Adams International Airport Inc. on Tuesday, escalating a long-running dispute over wages as union officials accused management of “disrespectful” silence on a proposal submitted nearly five months ago.

Under the watchful eye of police, a handful of airport staff, represented by the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), walked off the job and demonstrated, demanding management pay them now.

The union, which submitted a formal proposal for a 20 per cent wage increase covering the 2025–2027 period nearly five months ago, claims it has been met with consistent delays and a total lack of a counter-proposal.

As workers gathered to voice their grievances, union leadership made clear that the demonstration was a direct result of management’s failure to return to the bargaining table.

NUPW president Kimberly Agard told reporters that the union had been trying to meet with GAIA Inc. management since December last year. Despite repeated attempts to secure a meeting, the union said it had received no formal response to its financial proposal.

“The NUPW would have put a position to the management of GAIA Inc. since last year December, and to this date, no response has been given,” Agard said. “This is through no fault of the NUPW because we have continuously reached out to management in relation to when we will be back around the table. The members are frustrated. They work hard, they deserve better, and this is just a way for them to demonstrate what it is they are really feeling and experiencing at this time.”

The union’s leadership was quick to defend the public action, noting that the decision to protest was not taken lightly. Industrial relations officer Lisa Allicock explained that the NUPW had narrowed its focus to speed up the process, prioritising immediate financial relief for workers over other contractual concerns.

“There were several items proposed, but recognising that salaries and wages is one of the outstanding things on the table, we made a determination to ‘stick a pin’ in the non-salary items,” Allicock said. “We wanted to focus on the salary negotiations to bring that to some sort of closure. We are currently holding a position for a 20 per cent increase to cover the 2025 to 2027 period, and we are simply waiting for the airport’s management to get back to us.”

The atmosphere at the airport remained charged as union officials pushed back against any suggestion that the demonstration was premature or uncoordinated. Agard stressed that the union operates on the principle of “responsible representation”, but noted that responsibility must be a two-way street.

“We are not here willy-nilly,” Agard told reporters. “This is not a willy-nilly action. We would have, time and time again, reached out to management and given them time to discuss and go over our proposal. Each time we reach out with the hope of a particular date to get back around the table, that date is always pushed back.”

Agard highlighted the growing anxiety among airport staff, who are facing the same economic pressures as the rest of the country. “Obviously the staff are anxious, as they rightfully should be. They want to work, but they want better, and they deserve better. This is a demonstration of the frustration of the staff in relation to how management is treating their labor representatives.”

Union leaders remained guarded about their next move. While the NUPW has not yet announced a formal work stoppage, it indicated that all options remain on the table depending on the response — or lack thereof — from GAIA Inc. in the coming days.

“We lean toward responsible representation, and there is something in labor where we do strategy, so we will not make further plans public,” Agard said regarding the union’s tactical steps. “We will have further consultation with our members and, as a union, we will be led by them. What our members want is what will guide us going forward.”

Barbados TODAY has reached out to airport communications specialist Sharleen Brown for a response to the development.

(RR)