Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
THE MINISTRY of Transport and Works in Jamaica says it is surprised at the three-week ultimatum issued by the island's Air Traffic Controllers in an attempt to force the Government to conclude talks on wage and fringe benefits.
Alwin Hales, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Works, told The Gleaner that as far as he was aware, the negotiations were going well.
"No ultimatum was issued to the ministry or to the Civil Aviation Authority. Talks have been going very well," he said.
DIFFERENT PICTURE
But on the weekend, Howard Greaves, the president of the Jamaica Air Traffic Controllers Association, painted a different picture. Mr. Greaves told The Gleaner that the association could not guarantee normality if the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) fails to respond to the ultimatum in a satisfactory manner.
But on Monday he said the negotiations would be completed before the end of the three-week deadline. "Both matters would be discussed and agreed within the three weeks," Mr. Greaves emphasised.
He said the two matters relate to the establishment of a loss of licence insurance scheme and a special loan plan.
On Monday, Mr. Greaves admitted that the ministry and the CAA were not advised of the ultimatum, and that the association would be submitting a letter to the CAA, requesting that it move swiftly to deal with the two items on its wage and fringe benefits claim.
"We have been lagging behind and believe that the authority is not moving with the speed it ought to," he said. "The association wants to maintain the good labour relations that we have been having so far and we felt that it was important for the Civil Aviation Authority, in order to ensure that good relations continue, to do what is necessary to expedite the process."
The CAA has been pressing the Government for a wage increase over two years, to bring the salaries of the 70 air traffic controllers in line with that of flight safety inspectors. However, the Air Traffic Controllers have decided to delay their demand for the salary increase until a related market study is completed.
The air traffic controllers, who are stationed at the island's two international airports, monitor and process information on airlines entering, leaving and flying over Jamaica's airspace.
