The Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM), the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUN) and the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) have jointly accused Labour Minister Stephen Mc Clashie of favouring the employer instead of being an objective mediator, as it relates to the planned retrenchment of some 450 workers of Caribbean Airlines.
In a release, the union said “He has once again shown his lack of understanding of what it takes to be the Labour Minister.
“We wish to remind the minister that under the IRA (Industrial Relations Act) he has a responsibility to provide conciliation services which requires him to always be objective or seen to be objective.”
The unions also criticised the airline for failing to recognise the Aviation Communication and Allied Workers Union (ACAWU) as the recognised majority union and Minister Mc Clashie for alluding to the airline that they have no obligation to recognise ACAWU.
However, the unions are saying that CAL must recognise and engage with ACAWU, based on a 2017 Industrial Court ruling that CAL was the successor company to British West Indies Airways Ltd (BWIA), “carrying on the same operations, in substantially the same way, with substantially the same employees” and, therefore eligible to represent the airline workers.
The release said “CAL must therefore meet with ACAWU and provide information detailing its intentions and plans as it relates to all workers belonging to the bargaining unit they represent.”
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