Air traffic controllers were set to go on strike from midnight last night as efforts have failed to “amicably” work out a number of issues, chief among them retroactive payments, with the government.
A source last evening told Stabroek News that the Guyana Public Service Union sent management notice of the strike action yesterday and most of the staff members are “generally inclined to strike.” The source said about 90% of the staff will go on strike but pointed out that there are administrative staffers who are licensed to work at the tower and so the impact of the strike may not be immediately felt. “There will be limited service with managers also pitching in but how long can they work?”
The impasse came when Minister of Transport and Works Robeson Benn said that he was willing to meet with them but there was no money to pay and so there was no point discussing that issue.
The issues pending with the air traffic controllers at the CJIA and Ogle airports, all of which seem to be out of the hands of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), include retroactive overtime payment on salary scale adjustments, a 10 per cent increase in wages and salaries for last year and salary and leave advances. Additionally, workers want management to address the issue of substantive appointments as well as maximum work hours per month for Air Navigation Services staff. The employees are also asking for better training for staff and duty-free concessions for senior staff members.
According to sources they have exhausted all avenues and there seems to be no other alternative than to strike in an effort to pressure the authorities on some of the issues.
The sources noted that Minister Benn, who had stopped a payment that the GCAA was prepared to give employees, has said that there is no money to pay them yet the employees are seeing “all kinds of unnecessary expenditures.”
These include landscaping at the CJIA tower, painting and even covering of floors. “These are being done especially at a time when you are telling employees that you have no money to give them,” the sources noted.
The sources said what has aggravated the situation even more is Minister Benn’s hands-on approach towards the issue as he is directing management who has told the employees that there is basically nothing they can do.
Management, the sources said, should report to a board but there is no board and as such Benn is the one who is in control.
Last year when there was no response to a letter written to the minister the employees wrote President Bharrat Jagdeo who instructed Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon to meet with them. The sources said they had several meetings with Dr Luncheon but late last year they stopped hearing from him and a scheduled meeting did not materialize.
And even as they were fighting for their money the sources said they were very hurt when they noticed that government had paid out over $300M in a bonus to the army when they are being told they cannot get the money due to them.
Earlier this month Benn told Stabroek News that the GCAA could not meet the financial needs and therefore the finance ministry was considering the matter. However, the minister had said that there is much to be considered as efforts are being made to obtain vital equipment and Cabinet had been tasked with allocating $660M for that purpose. Benn said too an additional $120M would be needed to match the current cost of the equipment. Other internal matters such as the substantive appointment of staff in permanent positions were to be addressed by the GCAA, Benn had said.
