By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
Bahamasair is facing “serious damage control” in the wake of the pre-Christmas sick-out by its pilots, which to-date has cost the cash-strapped carrier just under $800,000.
Henry Woods, the airline’s general manager, told Tribune Business that it was now tasked with trying to win back the goodwill of its customer base.
Mr Woods added that the the sick-out has cost the airline $758,000 to-date, a figure that he said continues to climb as Bahamasair receives additional claims for refunds and compensation.
“To date it is $758,000, but it continues to climb because the passenger requests for refunds, compensation continue to come in,” Mr Woods said.
“Up until Wednesday afternoon it was $758,000. We are still paying out and we are still receiving claims.
“We have to do some damage control to win the goodwill back of our customers,” said Mr Woods added.
“We realise that we have lost a lot of it. It has come to us in letters, e-mails and telephone calls. People have been expressing their disgust. People are saying that they will never fly Bahamasair again, so we have to do some serious damage control. It is very serious.”
The two-day sick out began on December 22 and continued until Christmas Eve morning, leaving the airline’s domestic and international flights grounded.
The industrial action began after Bahamas Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) executives reportedly walked out of negotiations with the Government over a new industrial agreement.
Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis described the sick-out as “corporate sabotage”, implying that the action by Bahamasair pilots may hasten the Government’s effort to privatise the cash-strapped airline.
Mr Davis, who has ministerial responsibility for Bahamasair, added that the pilots’ actions did not give the Government any reason to consider expanding services or routes, and instead highlighed the need to reduce its heavy financial investment in the airline, which he called a burden.
He also suggested that the pilots may be punished appropriately for their “unlawful” industrial action, adding that the costs incurred from the sick out may prompt him to withdraw the Government’s proposal for the pilots’ new contract.
Up to June 2013, the Government has pumped $541 million into Bahamasair since its creation 41 years ago. Mr Davis said this funding could have gone to build new schools or hospitals, improve infrastructure or be used in the fight against crime.
Bahamasair’s Board subsequently said the pilots will not receive previously negotiated salary increments or lump sum payments as a consequence of their “illegal industrial action.
The Board decided to “take that offer off the table”, in addition to not paying the pilots who participated in the two-day sick out.
Comments
asiseeit 9 years, 3 months ago
The pilots cost the nation pretty much a million dollars and untold bad publicity at a time when the Bahamas is broke. Only in the civil service would one still have a job. Those that work for government should have to suffer real world consequences for holding the entire nation hostage through their actions. As a taxpayer i am disgusted that my hard earned money is extorted from me to pay idiots like these pilots when it should be going towards something that may pay a dividend in the future such as EDUCATION. Maybe if Bahamasair was profitable these slugs would have an argument but guess what you losers, without MY tax dollars you would not even have a job so shut up and do that job9and be thankful you have a job) or carry your hip!
bimjim 9 years, 3 months ago
I would rather suggest gross mismanagement - and gross political stupidity. Only with a team of incompetent managers would a company prefer to face disruption of service and the possibility of millions of dollars in lost revenue, expenses and uncountable lost good will of customers instead of negotiating in good faith with professionals who, if turned against the company, could bankrupt the airline with very little effort - and certainly in ways in which they cannot be prosecuted. . Bahamasair needs its pilots to be in good humour, not angry. . I would also suggest their curtrent salaries certainly were not handed to them on a platter, those amounts were negotiated with an incompenent team of managers over the years. You only get what your union fights for, and it appears management were not up to running a financially viable ship. . As to wasting money, ask those management types what THEIR salaries are - they are certainly getting close to double or triople what the highest paid pilot is paid. And I bet they enjoyed a whack of a Christmas bonus, too. . So stop kicking them pilots... as professionals they did not walk off the job just because they felt like it, they did so because they were driven to take industrial action when there was no alternative. . I have seen it before myself, so nobody can tell me that's not possible. Take a management which is unqualified, rude and ignorant, and they will believe they know better and can do better than anyone else. They also cannot count - negotiating a reasonable salary increase would probably not have cost Bahamasair what this strike has so far, including the loss of goodwill in its passengers. . Finally, don't believe everything you read in the Press. It is unliklely that the pilot union "demanded" 7% a year, more like they presented a 7% offer as the beginning of a negotiation - where the other side does the same. An arrogant, ignorant and incompetent management would be the kind of people to see the standard beginning of any negotiation as the sound of the bell to come out swinging at whatever moves.
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