The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

MORE industrial action is imminent if an amicable resolution is not reached within the next few days on outstanding issues raised by the Bahamas Air Traffic Controllers Union (BATCU), its president telling Tribune Business yesterday that the union felt as though it was being ignored by the Government.

Industrial action taken by air traffic controllers over the weekend caused significant delays at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA), with US bound flights said to be most impacted.

Tourism minister, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, in a brief interview with Tribune Business said he was extremely concerned about the possibility of any sort of disruption in air travel to and from the Bahamas, given the negative impact on the tourism industry and visitor perceptions.

Mr Vanderpool-Wallace said: "We will continue to have discussions with the union regarding all of the matters they believe are important to them. I am always concerned about any disruption to air travel.

"We have enough difficulties trying to get business in as it is, with competition increasing and airfares. Having to fight members of our own team is not something we want to contemplate."

Roscoe Perpall, the union's president, told Tribune Business: "Over the weekend we had engaged in a work slowdown that was most effective on Saturday.

"Right now there is no real disruption, but we are waiting to hear from the ministers. We were in touch with them over the weekend and they promised that we would have a meeting some time this week. A meeting is being arranged with the Prime Minister, and we are looking forward to that to further address our outstanding issues."

Mr Perpall added: "At the forefront is the outstanding industrial agreement that was being negotiated since late 2008. We have promotions and outstanding monies owed to us as a term within the last industrial agreement, repairs to the air traffic facility damaged during the last hurricane season and the necessity for additional training."

Mr Perpall said the union was looking forward to a resolution of these issues. "We had not received any real progress on our issues since we stood down from our industrial action at Christmas," he added.

"We feel we have been ignored. If the Government does not treat us respectful we will have no other recourse but to continue our pursuit towards achieving justice. I am hopeful the Government would earnestly sit with us and try to reach an amicable settlement within the next few days."