Following the distribution of termination letters to LIAT (1974) staff who are members of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union, a meeting will be held this Wednesday at the union’s headquarters on Newgate Street.
Last week workers were issued letters by Cleveland Seaforth — the court-appointed Administrator overseeing LIAT’s restructuring process.
Workers who were formally dismissed were told that their positions were redundant.
Workers were also informed that severance and other entitlements would depend on the outcome of the restructuring process.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
People you all are wasting your time with the union. They have collected your fees for all these years and in the end there is nothing they can do for you. you could have saved all that money for proper legal fees.
@ sideline I agree 100% that’s the problem here in the Caribbean unions are in bed with the government so unless it’s a private company and the big offshore ones always make sure those union heads are in they pocket so the workers always gets the nasty end of the stick just check out what’s going on in BIM right now a union head that’s in bed with the government no MOORE JUST NO MOORE.
I totally disagree with that statement that unions are in bed with the government. Certain Political parties are aligned to a certain union. Like we know and it is not a secret that the ALP came out of the AT&LU and the UPP established the Workers Union. So depending on who is in government that union would be more inclined to work favorably with the government that is related to their party. When you look at the present situation the Workers Union is not aligned with the ABLP and therefore does not work along with the present government. But my point is Unions these days are been made irrelevant. They are redundant. Because we have strong labour laws and a strong labour department. You do not need a union to fight for what you already have. And when it comes to severance pay. Nobody but the courts can force a business to pay you severance. And even then it depends on whether or not the funds are available. If the funds are not available sorry for you no matter what right or claim you may have. LIAT is such a story. Unions wouldn’t make a difference in the end. And in the end when you do collect they take out their commission first. Which I find they have not deserved. Just imaging if LIAT pays out 50 million and the Union takes out 2% of that. That is one million dollars that the union will collect. No wonder all of them working in the union have good paying jobs. And drive fancy cars.
The problem isn’t the union. The problem is the weak labor laws instituted by the ruling class of Antigua. The Little Mustache Man likes it this way.
Our labour laws are one of the strongest in the region. Just in case you didn’t know. In the USA your boss can fire you any time for now reason whatsoever. And in Europe is almost the same. It’s not about first in last out. It’s the boss’s prerogative to chose whomever he want to work with.
Sidelines:You say:Our Labor laws are one of the strongest in the region.Really? I have listened to a man on Observer Radio.His name is Carty.He has a differing view to yours about the Labor Laws.You could have the best Labor Laws on the books.However,if those laws are not being enforced.How good are they.If the Labor Department is just sitting and doing nothing to address the issues.What good are the Labor Laws.In my opinion Antigua and Barbuda needs a Labor Minister. With that Portfolio only.So that there would be more oversights and enforcements of the Labor Laws.
So if someone says that it makes it true. I have stated in places like the USA and many other countries in Europe your boss can fire you any time for no reason. That is a fact and that is the strongest law that protects workers in this country. No one can fire you without just cause. And they have to go through a procedure. They must write letters and give warning. You name it. This is not the norm in many of our so called developed countries. The only thing they have over us are good social laws that when they are unemployed they get some money. Especially in Europe the unemployment benefit is so generous that it doesn’t motivate anyone to go to work. In Antigua once someone has passed their probation period it is very difficult to fire them. if you do fire them you will have to face the industrial court. And yes I agree that procedure takes years and as they say justice delayed is justice denied. And perhaps you do not know how our system of government works, but the minister is not responsible for each individual case. He has a ministry. He makes policy. So running to the minister with your issues will not help you. For dispute you have the labour commissioner. thereafter the industrial court. You guys always seem to want to lay blame of things at the feet of a minister when they are policy makers. Not dispute solvers or enforcers of policies. The same way the PM cannot instruct the police which law they should enforce and who they should arrest. Please understand the democracy you live in.
God bless them, I hope they will bounce back again soon.
Sidelines:The PM can instruct the Police.As to whom should be arrested.Remember the matter of Damani Tabor and the CIP allegedly missing funds.Tabor did say $5 million went missing,allegedly. The PM spoke about it in Parliament and then the Police went and arrest Tabor.The case went to Court and was thrown out.You should not be saying the PM cannot instruct the Police.The COP works in that position at the pleasure of the Prime Minister.Not the Police Service Commission.
By the way.There are 50 States in the Union.The Labor Laws in one State does not mirror another State.Then we have Federal Labor Laws.If some one is beyond their probationary period in a Company.He or she could be placed on probation again.Then if that person does not meet the goals agreed on.That person could be fired at the end of the second probationary period.Companies do have policies and procedures.
Please do not confuse the PM making a statement as instructing the Police. There is what you call three branches of government. And even though the COP is nominated by the PM it is the Police Welfare Commission that is his direct boss that can fire him. I know you forget how Baldwin and Daniel fired the entire top of the police. They had to do it through the PWC who were their supporters. And it was a very messy thing. Anyway you didn’t touch the fact that one can be fired in the USA just so without notice and for no reason whatsoever. Just the other day a employee from Amazon was protesting his termination because they didn’t like his stand on the risk Covid had on the working environment. People that didn’t want to go to work at the meat factories because of fear of getting Covid were fired. Those things are not possible in Antigua. If employees strike because of bad working conditions you cannot fire them.
And also Stanford being accustomed with this type of behavior as an employer, each time he did that here to an employee, they took him to the Labour Commissioner and it cost him dearly. Some of them got as much as $300K and got another job somewhere else.
Barbados used the Three Trinis and the Bajan to topple LIAT. Gaston Browne got rid of two of the Trinis and the Bajan but left back the most dangerous Trini yet. This flight attendant turned Exec. is working hard from inside to destory LIAT. Gaston, ask yourself why since the first flight on Nov 1 there has not been another flight.
If you leave s0s00ns in there you will never see LIAT flight again.
Comments are closed.