Bounty Killer Orders Jamaica Gov’t To Pay Striking Air Traffic Controllers

Bounty Killer has demanded that the Jamaican Government pay the island’s air traffic controllers monies due to them, after learning that the officers went on strike this morning due to a fallout in salary negotiations, which had been taking place with the Ministry of Finance over the last three months.

According to the air traffic controllers, they are seeking reclassification, similar to that of the National Water Commission workers who, for two days ending yesterday, disrupted the island’s water supply.    It is for this reason that the Poor People Governor says the government must go forthwith and appease the workers.

“Jah know star not even di working class getting paid in Jamaica.  Yo few days ago it was water commission now air traffic; pay di bloodclaath ppl dem slave drivers🤬🤬🤬🤬,” he ordered via his Instagram page, where he tagged Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke.

Up to yesterday morning, services at the island’s two main airports, the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston and the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, were suspended, according to the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority.

Scores of travellers had been left stranded as several flights departing and arriving both airports have been cancelled.

Only three airlines were able to able to land at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay yesterday morning, namely Frontier from Atlanta, Sun Wing from Toronto, and American Airlines from Miami.

The strike follows the industrial action taken by more than 2000 National Water Commission staff members across Jamaica, including some management personnel, who went on strike on Tuesday morning, to protest issues relating to the fact that they have been largely left out of the Government’s new compensation review for public sector workers.

The industrial action taken by the water workers, brought the nation to its knees, crippled business and government activities across the country and caused some schools and clinics to be closed.

The strike ended on Wednesday afternoon with the workers agreeing to return to work starting with the night shift, at 11 o’ clock.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Karl Samuda had told the media that a back to work agreement was reached on Wednesday afternoon between the NWC and the five unions representing the workers, and the Finance Ministry, after 16 hours of meetings.

The signed agreement, states that among other things, a compensation review is to be conducted and implemented within six months and there be no victimisation of workers who participated in the strike.

It also states that consultant will also be procured to conclude a job evaluation using the new public sector job evaluation tool and that the consultant conducting the public sector compensation restructuring will also make the alignment to the new compensation structure public service.

In addition, the proposal for the compensation restructure for the NWC will be conducted and finalised within three months from May 20.

This is the second time in almost six months that Bounty Killer has rebuked the Government for being tardy in handling salary negotiations.

In November last year, the Coppershot artist upbraided the Andrew Holness administration after rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) descended on the Supreme Court in Downtown Kingston, to protest what they said were delays in the payment of their overtime claims.

Bounty made his dissatisfaction clear after media reports surfaced that hundreds of placard-bearing police officers clad in monochromatic black, had taken to the Supreme Court building to await the verdict on their 40-hour workweek and overtime claim.

However, whilst he admonished the government he had also taken issue with the police officers for breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) for which they had been prosecuting scores of Jamaicans, over the last year, which forbids large gatherings.

“To the police them now, is this an illegal protest too that’s why when the public voicing their opinions and demonstrating their rights the police should not let the same government that’s not paying them programs them to violate the ppl’s rights.  Who feels it knows it.  Jamaicans we fed up,” he had noted.