Some Air Traffic Controllers at the Timehri and Ogle airports yesterday staged a sickout after the payment of monies due to them was halted by Transport Minister Robeson Benn who said he had not approved the $18 million payout.
Stabroek News was reliably informed yesterday that some of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) controllers decided at midnight on Thursday that they would not turn out to work after the monies, which they had been promised would be paid to them and for which cheques were already prepared, had been held up following intervention by Benn.
The source said the action taken by workers had an adverse effect on operations at Ogle and at Timehri and senior air traffic controllers were forced to carry double shifts.
The source said that since 2003, when the government had announced across-the-board increases, the GCAA, a semi-autonomous body, had only added increments to its salaries.
The source said staff became aware of their entitlement some time in November last year and approached management. As a result, they began to benefit from an adjusted salary scale from January. However, there was still the matter of the outstanding back payments, the source said and employees were led to believe that they would see this reflected in their January salaries, and then in their February salaries. They were next reportedly assured that the payments would have been made this by the end of February.
“They were told that the cheques were already prepared, but after Minister Robeson Benn visited the office, they heard that they would not be getting the money anymore,” the source said.
In an invited comment during the Parliamentary recess yesterday, Benn told Stabroek News that he was aware that seven of 22 air traffic controllers had reported sick yesterday.
He noted that both towers were being maintained by senior personnel. Asked what might have spurred the apparent sickout Benn admitted that there was an issue with respect to some expectations which staff might have had with regard to salary increases.
However, the minister said he was not sure how much of it had to do with air traffic controllers and the matter was being looked at.
When it was suggested to Benn that the payments would have been held back owing to his intervention, he asserted that the payments had not been approved by him or Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.
Benn said he only became aware of the imminent $18 million payout during an unplanned visit to the authority yesterday.
“I was completely unaware of this payout, which was not authorized by me as responsible minister and neither by the minister of finance, and that this intended payment goes back to 2003 is to our great surprise,” Benn said.
Because the GCAA is a semi-autonomous agency, Benn said, payments were only made based on the ability to pay and complete approval by the minister.
Asked whether the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), which represents those employees, was asked to be involved in any discussions on the matter, Benn said he had an engagement on the East Coast Demerara yesterday and so asked for some discussion between the two persons from the union, his permanent secretary and other representatives.
“But the two persons from the union did not speak with the PS and other representatives and as far as I was told, they too left and said that they too were ill and were going to the hospital,” he said.
Asked whether the only problem with the payments was lack of approval, Benn said no and added that the matter would have to be reviewed with the Ministry of Finance and the history of the matter would have to be discussed. He has promised resolution to the matter no later than Tuesday.
Contacted late yesterday for a comment on the action taken by some of the workers, GPSU President Patrick Yarde told Stabroek News that he was aware that there was grave displeasure among the staff and resentment over the apparent political interference. Yarde said the union was investigating the matter and was awaiting a report. “So in the meantime we have not intervened in the matter.”
A GCAA source said that if this type of action is continued by the workers, it could have an adverse effect. This newspaper was also told that management was not officially notified of any industrial action nor had the workers said what their problems were.
Last night staff members reportedly met officials from the Air Traffic Control Association to decide what their next move should be.
