Aviation Workers Sound Alarm Over Forced Leave and Illegal Vacation Blackouts at ABWU Sector Meeting

Airport and airline workers have raised serious concerns about unlawful workplace practices at a recent meeting of the Airlines and Aviation Section of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers' Union, with forced leave and unjustifiable vacation blackout periods emerging as the dominant issues — and the Union's General Secretary vowing to take direct action against employers who have adopted what he described as an unlawful and unilateral position.

Vacation Blackouts and Forced Leave

The meeting brought together union leaders and shop stewards, providing a forum to raise workplace concerns, discuss industry developments, and identify strategies for addressing issues affecting workers throughout the sector.

Employees from one company voiced strong concerns over what they described as unjustifiable vacation blackout periods, which prevented them from taking leave during their preferred periods despite providing advance notice. Workers also recalled instances where colleagues were forced off the compound and placed on leave.

The Law Is Clear — and It Is Being Violated

ABWU General Secretary David Massiah pulled no punches in his assessment of the practice.

Massiah committed to challenging this unlawful and unilateral position adopted by the company, noting that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Code specifically requires mutual agreement between the employer and employee on the issue of vacation.

The Labour Code's requirement for mutual agreement means that an employer cannot unilaterally impose vacation blackout periods without the employee's consent — and certainly cannot force an employee off the premises and onto compulsory leave. The workers' accounts describe exactly that kind of unilateral conduct, and the Union's pledge to challenge it formally signals that the matter will not be quietly absorbed.

Growing the Union's Footprint

Beyond the immediate grievances, the meeting addressed the Union's longer-term agenda for the sector — specifically, the need to expand membership among airport ground handlers.

Section Chair Steveroy Phillip stressed the importance of expanding union membership to ensure that more workers benefit from the protections and advantages afforded by collective bargaining agreements. "Our goal is to get more of the handlers at the airport unionised so that they can access the same benefits as the rest of us," Phillip said. "We encourage each of our members to speak with a colleague and help strengthen our collective voice."

Employers Blocking Union Participation

Phillip also raised another area of concern — employers preventing workers from attending union activities.

He noted that the meeting provided an opportunity to address concerns about employers who have been reluctant to grant workers occasional time off to participate in union activities, stressing that such actions constitute a breach of the collective agreement.

Looking Ahead to the Annual Conference

Despite the challenges discussed, Phillip expressed optimism about the future of the section and expects growing participation as preparations continue for the Union's 59th Annual General Conference, scheduled for September.

The concerns raised at the aviation sector meeting come at a time of intense union activity across Antigua and Barbuda's private sector, with the ABWU having recently secured collective bargaining agreements at Vernon G. Edwards Limited and Epicurean, and simultaneously pressing for worker protections in the pending CIBC Caribbean and Butterfield merger. The aviation sector's issues add another front to what is shaping up as one of the ABWU's most active advocacy periods in recent years.