MINISTER of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles, was last night watching tensely over the industrial dispute at Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport (SIA), hoping to prevent a feared disruption of flights.

Charles dispatched a high level team to the north coast resort city to seek a resolution of the pay dispute which resulted in a strike at the airport involving approximately 150 clerks, customer service representatives and maintenance workers employed to MBJ Airports Limited, operators of the airport.

The strike was to protest against a two per cent difference between their pay claims and the company’s offer.

Charles told the Observer that the team, led by his industrial relations adviser, Gresford Smith, was scheduled to meet with the management and the unions at 6:00 pm and report back to him by 10 o’clock last night.

“I am standing by ready to meet them tomorrow (today) if they can’t settle tonight,” the minister said. “If I can’t settle it, then it will have to be referred to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal.”

The Observer understands that the parties have agreed on a 10 per cent increase in year one of a new two-year contract being negotiated. However, there is a difference of two per cent between the management’s offer of eight per cent for the second year and the unions’ claim for 10 per cent.

The workers are represented by the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel and the Trade Union Congress.

(See full story in the Observer West)