Liat's Situation Becomes More Dire As Stalemate With Pilots Threatens Operations
- Ernice Gilbert
- April 02, 2019
Liat's return to the U.S. Virgin Islands was hailed as a success by the Mapp administration, and residents with roots in the Eastern Caribbean cheered the decision in 2018. But as the carrier continues to struggle financially, it has been cutting routes, slashing benefits and implementing other belt-tightening measures to survive. Its standing with the pilots union has been particularly troubling: As other employees have agreed to a 6 percent wage cut over three years, along with a wage freeze, the pilot's union has said the only way its members would agree to the slash and freeze, is if the current management of Liat is wholly dismissed, and a complete restructuring of the airline is initiated. “Liat is a fundamental regional public good,” said St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, speaking to News Say TT. "The goal right now is to figure out a way to save or restructure, but," he said, if the owners can’t get the necessary cuts from workers, “we...
