Stabroek News ePaper

CAL chops staff reduction to 280, unions vow court action

(Trinidad Guardian) - Caribbean Airline’s move to cut 79 pilots could be causing some turbulence, legally.

CAL yesterday announced its planned staff reduction had been cut from an initially projected 450 workers to 280.

But the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots’ Association, which represents CAL’s pilots, said the move includes 79 pilots, among them 19 of the most senior and experienced ones. They were all issued termination notices yesterday.

And the Aviation Communication and Allied Workers Union representing other CAL workers - including trainee flight attendants who are being terminated - also believes the process was faulty.

ACAWU represents 600 employees, including flight attendants and ground staff.

The action has particularly affected TTALPA, whose 252 members last year took a 57 per cent pay cut to assist with cost-cutting measures in a bid to keep the airline steady when it was grounded.

This was after the country’s borders were closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

TTALPA’s industrial relations consultant Gerard Pinard, in confirming the termination matter is headed for a legal challenge yesterday, said, “TTALPA will be seeking redress for this dishonest, arrogant and high handed action by an employer in these desperate times, where pilots will be forced on the breadline even after their unprecedented sacrifices on behalf of saving the national airline.”

Yesterday, CAL confirmed it had slashed the initial proposal of sending home 450 staff members to 280 after weeks of consultation and dialogue had taken place. The move was part of a planned restructuring of the airline after it was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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2021-08-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://epaper.stabroeknews.com/article/281569473770284

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