By Denise Clarke, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
SOME WORKERS employed to the Airports Authority of Jamaica at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay stand to lose their jobs when new managers take over the airport on March 1.
The agreement for the privatisation of the airport was signed on Wednesday, making MBJ Airports Limited, an international consortium, the official operators as of that date. Airport workers, some of whom demonstrated on Tuesday demanding that their pensions be paid over to them before the new operators take over, will have to undergo an interview process to determine whether they will be employed by the airport's new management.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who spoke at the signing ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay, asked that the handing over proceed as smoothly as is possible, and implored the disgruntled employees to seek to resolve disputes in an orderly manner.
"I would like to re-emphasise that we want this thing to be done without any unrest or dislocation. We don't need to have demonstrations and confrontations... you have ways to resolve disputes," Mr. Patterson declared.
He, however, warned the airport employees that they should not expect to retain their jobs while, at the same, time receive redundancy payments.
"You can't expect redundancy payments and then expect to retain your jobs come March 1," Mr. Patterson cautioned. "The employees who are retained will keep all their contractual and pension rights. You will be protected."
Minister of Transport and Works, Robert Pickersgill, disclosed that MBJ is obliged to conduct interviews with the existing airport employees over a period of three months. Workers selected through this process will be offered employment on a contractual basis. The Airport Authority will be responsible for making redundancy payments to those persons who might be terminated.
"I need to advise that the Airport Authority is responsible for the termination of those staff members who the concessionaire does not wish to retain. The Authority will make payments to those persons in accordance with the Employment, Termination and Redundancy Payment Act," Mr. Pickersgill explained.
Under the signed agreement, MBJ cannot vary the terms and conditions of employment, without the consent of the Airport Authority.
Regarding the pension fund, the new management will offer to transfer the fund on similar terms to that in force at the Airport Authority. The entitlement of the employees under the existing pension fund will be transferred to the new fund.
For the time being, wage contracts with the trade unions currently representing the workers, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel (UTASP), will remain in effect," Mr. Pickersgill said.
"With regard to the trade unions the concessionaire is obliged to comply with the trade union agreement in existence and following an interim period of six months enter into agreement with the trade union," the Minister said.
The agreement provides for the government to retain ownership, while giving a 30-year lease to MBJ to operate and expand the Sangster Airport. The concession to persons currently operating facilities at the airport, such as food and retails shops, could also be affected under the new management agreement. Their leases are currently being extended on a month to month basis, and some could be terminated following a review by new managers.
