‘We are ready to settle’ – PM tells former LIAT (1974) ltd. staff

Prime Minister Gaston Browne said he is ready to resolve the issue of outstanding
payments to the former LIAT (19740 Ltd. noting that he is prepared to meet with
the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union ‘as early as today (Monday)’ to bring
closure to the issue.
While the prime minister said government is willing to pay the workers, he is not
prepared to pay the 100 percent of the monies owed to the staff as the union has
been demanding.
“If the union wishes to engage us first thing Monday morning on the 32 percent
compassionate payment, we will do so. I have also indicated in the past that this
offer will not remain indefinitely. So its now for the union to act; the matter is
solely in the court of the ABWU. However, if it is that they want to bully my
government into paying one hundred percent of the outstanding amounts, it is not
going to happen,” he stated emphatically.
According to the prime minister those LIAT (1974) Ltd. staff who wish to bring a
resolution to the matter ought to bring pressure to bear on the union to act. “What
the LIAT staff should do, those who understand logic and are rational with no
political agenda, should push the ABWU to accept the offer. It is a compassionate
offer as I have said repeatedly, if the union felt that the government had a legal
responsibility to make the full payment, then they would have brought the matter
to the court. They fact that this has not happened is testimony that they recognize
that we do not have any legal exposure here,” he explained.
The prime minister further explained that the matter is not one that can be done in
a piecemeal manner; that the union has a responsibility to sit down with the
government and come to an amicable resolution.
The government had previously offered to settle the matter with a combination of
cash, bonds and lands with no determination of what percentage goes to either
category. These he added are matters that ought to be worked out at the
negotiations table.
The offer of 32 percent represents the government’s share holding in the defunct
LIAT (1974) Ltd.