The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net A LEADING Bahamian aviation executive yesterday urged the government and the air traffic controllers union to 'look at the bigger picture' and resolve their outstanding issues, stating any industrial action by the union would have a crippling effect on the Bahamian aviation industry. Bahamas Air Traffic Controllers Union (BATCU) president Roscoe Perpall told Tribune Business the union was considering industrial action after what he called "stalling tactics" by the government with regards to contract negotiations. Randy Butler, president and CEO of Sky Bahamas, said the union and the government need to be concerned about what impact such action would be on the aviation industry. Mr Butler said: "I am concerned but I think that the government and the union need to be more concerned. We have a very fragile economy right now. My suggestion is that they should sit at the table and work it out. While I support the union there is a bigger picture here." He added: "This whole situation just speaks to a lack of planning for the aviation industry. We support the union folks getting paid but we have to save this industry. We have to save it and not break it down. The government needs to meet with the union and the union needs to be sensible about this." During the Christmas weekend, a work-to-rule by air traffic controllers hampered airlines operations at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA), creating massive delays and costing airlines thousands in additional fuel costs. The situation was compounded, he added, by Air Traffic Control in Miami, which controls Bahamian air space above a certain height level, putting a 'ground hold' on various aircraft at LPIA to prevent the skies from becoming too congested by airline traffic. Mr Butler said: "We lost a lot of money and that was very tough. It had a crippling effect. I am not looking forward to any type of industrial action at all." BATCU's president Mr Perpall said: "The position right now is that we are dissatisfied on the progress being made in resuming and concluding contract negotiations. We are of the view that this whole process has been just a stall tactic. "The possibility of work-to-rule or some form of industrial action is being considered." While Mr Perpall gave no timeline as to when industrial action would be taken, he noted the progress of discussions on new contracts for the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU) which represents line staff at Sandals Royal Bahamian and the Bahamas Customs Immigration and Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU) would influence the decision. Last December, the BCIAWU, the BATCU, and the BHMAWU signed an accord stating that negotiations of all industrial agreements with the Government and Sandals Royal Bahamian, respectively, would be pursued collaboratively.