BWIA breakthrough By Orion Ganase Guardian 11.05.02 BWIA got a significant breakthrough yesterday when one of its unions, CATTU, announced that it was putting aside its differences with the airline's management in order to play its part in saving the airline from going under. "We have decided to look at the future of the company as opposed to get into a battle with management," said CATTU president Jagdeo Jagoo. The airline had given the unions a deadline of yesterday to change their positions on concessions or present management with alternative suggestions for cutting cost. Meeting with management, CATTU representatives asked for the union's targeted savings to be presented separately from the target savings of the Aviation, Communication and Allied Workers Union (ACAWU). Both unions were originally set a savings target of US$70,000. The new target figures are US$25,000 a month for CATTU which has 200 members and US$45,000 for ACAWU which has 1,400 members. Yesterday, Jagoo said he was proud to announce that CATTU would meet its US$25,000 monthly target. He said CATTU had agreed to postpone annual bonus payments for 2002 and 2003 which would amount to savings of US$78,000 a year. CATTU also agreed that its members would give eight hours free overtime per month, starting next year, which would amount to US$100,000 in savings a year. Members also agreed to defer overtime subsistence allowances until 2004. Previously, CATTU had only agreed to a 50-50 meal chit programme, rejecting all other concessions. In explaining the union's change of heart, Jagoo said: "As the chairman (Lawrence Duprey) pointed out on (TV6's) Sunday Edition we are running out of time. We have to look at the interest of the company." Jagoo said the union needed to "set an example, to show government that we are committed". BWIA's communication manager, Clint Williams, congratulated CATTU "for their broader view of the situation", saying he found it "very encouraging". "I certainly hope that the initiative being shown is picked up by all union representatives," he added. Meanwhile, ACAWU, which also met with management yesterday, presented no additional concessions. However, President of ACAWU, Christopher Ambraham told the Express that during the week the union will be meeting with members to see if they could find any additional savings. Abraham said ACAWU will make any additional proposals to the airline by Friday. With CATTU committing to cost-cutting of US$25,000 a month, BWIA is still looking for savings of US$115,000 a month to reach its targeted labour savings of US$300,000. It expects to get most of it from ACAWU and its flight attendants. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (I95.5FM) http://www.i955fm.com (Radio Station I95.5FM) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************