Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne remains adamant that unless his regional counterparts including Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and St Vincent Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonzalves are part of discussions on LIAT, he will not hold any talks about severance for the former employees.
Since LIAT 1974 ltd grounded flights in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, former workers have not been paid severance. Only St Lucia, which is not a shareholder of LIAT, has paid its workers severance.
Those employed in Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Grenada have not yet been paid.
Browne said Antigua and Barbuda owns 32% of LIAT shares yet unions expected to pay all severance owed–roughly EC $80M.
Meanwhile Browne said it appears Antigua and Barbuda is on its own where the reviving of LIAT is concerned.
“They are not taking into consideration that the government perused a herculean effort to try and save LIAT…Just Friday we remitted a further USD $1M into LIAT 1974 to fix one of the engines of the plane which has not worked since Covid…so you can see the commitment. It is not just for Antigua and Barbuda, it is about helping regional people to connect,”.
He said regional governments are of the view that there is sufficient private assets within the region to service the Caribbean and they don’t see the need for any investment into a regional airline.
Regional leaders are also of the view that setting up a new entity may cause former and current staff of LIAT to bring frivolous litigations against LIAT 2020, according to Browne.
Owned by a handful of Caribbean shareholder governments, LIAT 1974 Ltd had provided crucial regional connectivity for decades but folded when the COVID pandemic exacerbated its long-standing financial woes.
How can anyone work with Gaston Browne when all he does is dictate to people. He wants other governments to pony up cash, but he wants to be in control despite the fact that Antigua only held 32% of the shares.
It is a disgrace that more of these regional leaders don’t see the importance of supporting LIAT. (Of course, some sort of oversight body can be set up to ensure that things operate wisely and efficiently with any support provided ie financial etc).
Some of these regional leaders will however bend over backwards, crawl on their knees and establish Minimum Revenue Guarantees (MRG) sometimes in the millions of dollars to subsidize foreign airlines when these airlines fly into their islands with passenger loads that do not make economic sense ie loss-making flights.
Hello Regional leaders, please establish a MRG system for LIAT just as y’all do for these US, UK & European airlines that come into the region. Phew!!!
On behalf of the people of the Commonwealth of Dominica, we the people will not be investing not 1 penny into this failed venture. We are sick and tried of giving away tax payer’s money, so that a few executives in Antigua can drink “Cavalier and Black Sam Rum,” ride the Jolly Roger every weekend, while our people continue to receive poor atrocious-service, unaccounted baggage, being forced to purchase new returning tickets at the drop of a hat and the list goes on and on. We were played for a fool when we gave away some EC$8,000,000.00 a few years ago, when your shed burned to the ground. “That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back!” We will support a new, leaner, and more professional operation when one comes on stream that meets our need and treats our people with dignity and respect. You can stop begging, because it isn’t happening. Not now and not ever!
Sincerely,
The People of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
I couldn’t put it any better!
Now we’re suppose to tip them for all these years of agonies inflicted upon us!?
Why put more money in Liat. Just let it go bankrupt. Liat have always been bad news for the Caribbean. It’s not going to get any better.
Base on your comment , u have no idea about trade and how airline operates.
This is definitive evidence of the ‘love’ Caribbean leaders have for their own people. Don’t even want to imagine the excruciating and unnecessary suffering the former LIAT workers have to endure.
Let’s not forget that these workers have legitimately earned the right to this money they are being denied. By withholding their severance payment and other benefits is the epitome of evil.
God frowns on the wickedness man does to man. No bad deed goes unpunished. These rulers ‘payday’ is coming. UNCONSCIONABLE!
That man has a nerve honestly. As far as I know Liat is an Antiguan company. Gaston always wanted to say how it should be run and from where, same thing with the government before him. Is Antigua that stuffed the company with people and put them on the payroll and now Browne wants all of us to pay these workers what they owe them. Dominica already gave Liat $8 million. He just wants to look good in the eyes of his voters at our expense. Let him stew in his own juice.
As fellow shareholders of LIAT, and with all the money that the Labour Prime Ministers Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, Dr Ralph Gonzalves of St. Vincent, and Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, keep wasting on election campaigns, they cannot pay the LIAT workers in and of their country?
St. Lucia is not a shareholder and paid the LIAT workers of its country, well done St. Lucia, and I like how you do not hesitate to change your Government when they form the fool with your money.
A people get the Government that they deserve! And kakarat Dominica stay there with Skerrit!