LIAT and Unions Agree On Office Closures

Details

Business News

Tuesday, 12 July 2011 02:30

By Aisha Caleb

Antigua St John's - Operations at LIAT’s ticketing offices in Antigua & Barbuda and the rest of the region will come to a close at the end of July.

According to an agreement signed on Monday, this means that prospective travellers will have to book their tickets over the telephone, online, or via a travel agent.

The decision, which took almost two years to be reached, was brokered by LIAT and the respective employees’ bargaining agents, and stemmed the threat of industrial action across the region. It will occur one month later than was initially anticipated.

In April, LIAT announced that the decision to close its City Ticketing Offices (CTOs) was taken because of the need to cut costs; to adapt the company’s business model to a changing economic and technological environment; and, in particular, to promote the use of web-based and telephone bookings.

Employees, at that time, were served with termination letters, but the swift interception of bargaining agents who asked for the withdrawal of the letters brought another round of talks, as no amicable decision was reached on the many outstanding issues on the table.

As per the agreement reached yesterday, more than 70 employees throughout the region will be made redundant. However, a number of ticketing agents will be allowed to seek employment within other facets of LIAT’s operations.  The determining factors for such employment will come not only after an overview of the numbers who opt for the voluntary separation and early retirement packages, but consideration will also be given to an employee’s years of service.

Hits: 1554

10 Comments In This Article   

HEADER   

Being Nimle Pt3

John French II » 2011-07-13 01:17

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock. Is There A Silver Lining? Definitely. Even in the huge USA market AA is reducing its Hub network to Five. I have previously suggested this move for LIAT. AA has began its revenue-sharing and joint Venture with Japan Airlnes in the Pacific, BA and Iberia in the Atlantic. I have previously suggested LIAT and CAL need to do this. If CAL has no appetite, then LIAT should look to the Euro and NA Airlines and open talks with SAA, Nigerian Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Air India and Brazil's TAM Airlines. Have a Global Vision with a Domestic Regional Mission. Engage some of T&T's Young Carnival Management Marketeers. AA is moving to a huge upgrade of its fleet and may move away from Boeing. Watch for SAM's hidden hand. I have previously suggested that LIAT nuy Embraer. Just like AA, LIAT Has the highest labour costs and pension obligations. I do not see these as negatives but as issues to be properly managed with staff and Unions. There are more issue that need transformative initiatives. “The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves if we are underlings.” Have Mercy Pon LIAT & Us.

2

0

John French II

---

Being Nimle Pt2

John French II » 2011-07-13 01:02

Notes From A Native Son Of the Rock. LIAT Is the Organization We Love To Hate just as the Self-Hatred we have developed and cherished since we were deposited in the Euro-Caribbean Banks before capture and removal from the Mother Country. AA is reeling from its losses and may go the Bankruptcy route of all of the major leading NA Airlines to restructure its debts, cost containment and staffing oblications. Is there no one who understands the Strategic Imperatives for LIAT to survive and thrive sans Government continual bailouts. The Public has no further Appetite. I shall use AA as the example of necessary steps for LIAT since we are enarmoured with things foreign - IMF and FDI being examples. Many Men, Many, Many, Many, Many, Many Men wish death on LIAT. I have heard this being suggested amogst leading Business and Government Agencies in the CSME. Have Mercy Pon LIAT.

1

0

John French II

---

well said

tenman » 2011-07-13 00:17

John Well said. The problem though is that they see themselves representing the politician**ere st tend to also be short term

..

2

0

tenman

---

Being Nimle Pt1

John French II » 2011-07-13 00:10

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock. The Management have no understanding of Transparency and their Obligations to all of the Stakeholders. The Employees Understand the short term, "'What's in this for me" and are not interested in the Nation's Permanent Interest. Who can blame them given their miseducation of Caribbean People? The Trades Union Leadership. Who are these Scribes and Pharisees masquerading as Trade Union Leaders with no Business Acumen, Adroitness and Nation Building Competencies? Lose LIAT. Entertain A Euro Bucaneer and the pickings will be worth a King's Ransom. A resolution after a Strategic Decision two years in an Industry where the Word "Nimble" is the Watch Word and Order of the Day. Have Mercy Pon Me.

2

0

John French II

---

Being Nimle Pt1

John French II » 2011-07-12 23:58

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock. My Heart aches and a drowsy numbness pains my senses as though of Hemlock I had drunk when I realize that this issue has receded into the fog and haze of the minds of Ouadadlians, Rastas & "Pickey Head People just as the fog which is being now a regular feature of the weather and environmental patterns resulatnt from the Sahara Dust as it makes its relentless and un-ending westward trek across the Atlantic to deposit its tons of unwanted sands on the Caribbean just as the slave trade made its way through the Middle Passage and deposited its Human Cargoes on the Caribbean to create the World's Worst Human Tragedy the effects of which are still wrecking havoc, psychological damage and a sense of human despair which has not been healed. I say this to show that that just as it was so shall it be today even after "Independence" in the CSME. No sense of the Strategic. No Sense of Urgency. No Sense of the Implementation Deficit. Many Men, Many, Many, Many, Many, Many Men wish death Pon Me. Have Mercy Pon Me.

1

0

John French II

---

awu

Business woman » 2011-07-12 21:01

david massiah just was looking honor because everything ends the same

0

0

Business woman

---

Modernization.. .

wada » 2011-07-12 13:12

While I am all for automation, online purchasing and saving costs, if we are all replaced by online ticketing and self checkout counters, amongst other modern innovations, who will have money to buy goods or services as we may all be home soon twiddling our thumbs?

1

0

wada

---

Technology

lamanex » 2011-07-12 12:02

Thats what modernisation creates. When I was growing up in Antigua we used to have to stamp price on goods at the supermarket, that's change. Cash registers only added up the cost of goods then the cashier had to calculated the change based on the cash submitted, thats changed. Today in America we have self check out system which take away jobs from cashier, Antigua it's coming your way soon. New technology allows buisinesses to save money by reducing manpower.

0

0

lamanex

---

get with the program

jill » 2011-07-12 11:34

I agree with LIAT to do away with the offices and have the travelers book their tickets online. This is the 21st century, people!! Now the monies that was spent on renting and maintaining these offices all over the region can be spent wisely.

1

0

jill

---

bad

liss worker » 2011-07-12 07:01

waist of time ,its still the same thing unions are a waist of time trust me i know ask the awu the worst ever,but thank god for the minister cort

0

0

liss worker

---

REFRESH
RSS

Add comment

Name

Title

• < Prev
• Next >