Caribbean Airlines confirms Jamaican pilots' work permits not renewed

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) Friday confirmed that three Jamaican pilots had been refused work permits but said that their contracts had already come to an end.

“The pilots…their contracts had already come to an end at the time so based on that the authorities perhaps communicated with them,” CAL communications manager Clint Williams told reporters.

Earlier the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) said it had sought the intervention of Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller in the matter and questioned the commitment of regional countries to the free movement initiative within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

BITU president Kavan Gayle confirmed he had sought the intervention of the Jamaica government and that despite numerous requests for work permits from six Jamaican pilots based in Trinidad and Tobago, the documents were not forthcoming.

In May 2011, CAL took over the cash-strapped Air Jamaica with the government in Kingston having a 16 per cent share in the airline.

Williams said that all the pilots now come under CAL whether or not they fly the Air Jamaica routes.

“That contract came to an end on March 10 and they were subsequently contacted by the local authorities after that,” Williams said, indicating that the contracts for the pilots were “for a limited time”

“So as it stands right now that contract period …that came to an end and it is not being renewed at this time,” he added.

Source:  http://www.jamaicaobserver.com