The Minister of Finance, Hon. Colm Imbert, MP, has noted ongoing protest action by the pilots of Caribbean Airlines Limited regarding salary negotiations for the period 2015 to 2020. These protests are occurring even though air transport is an essential service. In addition, over a year ago, in August 2023, the Industrial Court ordered an injunction against the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA), restraining TTALPA and the pilots from engaging in industrial action. This injunction remains in place, and it is expected that TTALPA and its members will respect the order of the Court, and will not engage in absenteeism or sickouts, or other forms of industrial action (see attached injunction).

The Minister wishes to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to ensuring that fair, equitable, and reasonable collective agreements are reached in the best interest of all stakeholders while also considering the country’s economic realities, particularly Caribbean Airlines’ current financial condition.