The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said Bahamasair ramp operators affected by the airline’s outsourcing plan were offered transfers to Nassau Flight Services (NFS) with their seniority and benefits protected, but the union advised them to accept redundancy instead.

“To my understanding, most if not all of those persons were inclined to proceed in that fashion but now I’m being advised that the union has encouraged its members to accept redundancy which, if correct, is unfortunate and regrettable,” she told The Tribune yesterday.

The move to consolidate ramp operations under a single state-owned agency had stirred concerns among workers.

Mrs Glover-Rolle’s statement followed the AAAWU’s threat of a strike vote last year over what it deems a breach of its industrial agreement. Union officials also say the airline owes its members significant unpaid salary increments, a long-running issue.

Last year, Bahamasair’s Managing Director Tracy Cooper explained that shifting roughly 50 ramp operators to NFS would streamline operations, reduce duplication, and lessen reliance on government funding.

“The government of The Bahamas owns both Bahamasair as a corporation and Nassau Flight services as a corporation,” Mr Cooper said. “So this whole programme is to bring better efficiencies so that there could be less dependency on the government.”

Still, the union contended that employees face potential pension losses if they move to NFS, as Bahamasair’s pension fund is over $60m, compared to NFS’s $6m. AAAWU president Jewel Fountain said her members were not only worried about pension benefits, but also about salary increments she claims are owed under Article 5 of their industrial agreement. The union had sent letters to Bahamasair’s management requesting appraisal forms and proper calculation of the increments.