The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has raised deep concerns regarding the severe disruption caused to airline operations at Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport following Saturday’s labor action by the airport’s sole ground handling provider.
According to an IATA release, reports indicate that 80% of the company’s staff called in sick, leading to widespread operational delays and flight cancelations.
“Today’s lack of adequate ground services has significantly disrupted airline schedules, inconvenienced passengers, and damaged confidence in Saint Lucia’s sole aviation gateway,” Saturday’s release stated.
It also noted that relying on one ground handling service provider at Hewanorra International Airport has further exacerbated the situation, leaving no alternative solutions for airlines and travelers.
“IATA is pressing the Civil Aviation Authority and airport authorities to implement immediate contingency measures to restore normal operations and minimize disruption,” said Peter Cerdá, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas. “We are also seeking direct engagement with the Ministers of Transport and Tourism to ensure a swift resolution to this labor dispute and to discuss long-term reforms to prevent such vulnerabilities in the future.”
IATA said it firmly believes that diversifying ground handling service providers is essential to improving operational resilience and protecting airline and passenger interests.
The organisation declared that reliance on a single provider creates an unnecessary risk to the aviation sector, as demonstrated by Saturday’s events.
IATA urged the authorities to take swift and decisive action to resolve ‘this crisis’ and to implement structural changes that will safeguard the reliability and efficiency of Saint Lucia’s aviation industry moving forward.
St Lucian a fed up of all these high cost of living so I empathize with the staff. My car stayed at the airport for less than (2) Two hours I was asked to pay $20.00. This means one of this worker will pay the car park $80.00 per day which is more than their pay.
Give the people a raise. Happy workers go to work
its not often that staff in the private sector take any form of industrial action, however i love it when they stand up and unify and take some sort of action because down here line staff are often taken for granted and abused by both management and customers. learn to appreciate your front line staff better and treat them right
Are they unionized? If yes, did they consult the union before taking this action? If they are not unionized what preventing them from getting a Union?
They should not do like Sandals with its employees.
That was not a sick-out. It was a wild cat strike. Ground service company has done a poor job at Hewanorrasince they got contract: they and their employees need to be replaced. This is an international aviation, not a shoe store. Strikers who did not have the OK of their union, need to be let go immediately. Serious business here, not a local matter. Unsafe and unprofessional. SLASPA take note.
This is so not fare to the travelers
Who is the ground service company at Hewanorra??
Human resource is the greatest resource in the world. Learn to treat and appreciate them better. Having five service providers on the group will result in the samething as long as workers are not getting fear treatment
Very unprofessional by the ground service workers. That’s another blow to our tourism. Looks bad at our aviation services.
Replace striking ground service immediately. No one of us is safe if IATA is “concerned. ” Where is SLASPA?