Workers of the now disbanded BWIA have all been paid a severance package plus gratuity and about 60% of them have been re-employed.

On December 31, 2006, BWIA ended its operations and was replaced by Caribbean Airlines.

President of the Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU) Roy Hughes told Stabroek News last week that the roughly 70 employees of BWIA, represented by the CCWU, had received enhanced severance pay plus gratuity. Stabroek News understands that all payment arrangements ended the week before last.

Hughes said that gratuity payments had not been part of BWIA’s original severance package, but the union had been able to negotiate its inclusion.

The workers received an enhanced severance pay of 20% on their basic pay as of October 2006 and as severance, 30% of this amount. The years of service were also factored into the severance package and those with longer service received higher amounts. In addition, 2