ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Antigua & Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU), bargaining agents for the 117 Caribbean Airlines Services (CAS) workers will be meeting with management today following a sick-out by workers yesterday.
ABWU General Secretary David Massiah told OBSERVER media CAS management and employees have long been at an impasse over negotiations for a new collective agreement.
“We were not satisfied with the positions that were put forward by the company and we have responded, and they have responded likewise. So it has been a counter and back-and-forth,” he said.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - The financial woes of LIAT and Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) featured in the news this past week.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace says a lack of confidence in the finances of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines government is responsible for the EC$40 million (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) 10-year bond issued last month being significantly undersubscribed.
Eustace said over the years, he has been complaining about the declining finances in the country.

GRAND TURK, Turk and Caicos Islands, CMC – The head investigator in a British Government’s probe of corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands says former Premier Michael Misick will stand trial.
Helen Garlick of the Turks and Caicos Special Investigation and Prosecution Team, said Misick will join 10 others, including four of his cabinet ministers, in defending allegations that they illegally sold government lands for profit and cut other sweetheart deals to enrich themselves during their tenure in office.

Port of Spain, Trinidad, CMC – Several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states will be represented at the 5th Summit of the Heads of State and/or Government of The Association of Caribbean States (ACS), to be held in Haiti this week.
Sustainable tourism, trade, air and maritime transport and disaster risk reduction are some of the issues to be discussed at the Summit, themed_ “Revitalizing the Vision of the Association of Caribbean States for a Stronger and More United Greater Caribbean.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica - There is much anxiety today among Jamaicans at home and abroad concerning Jamaica's economic future. Those who have been brave enough to look over the economic precipice often return to the fold with grossly disturbing news.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Dr Rufus Ewing, Premier of the Turks and Caicos, has echoed a call by T&T’s Tourism Minister Stephen Cadiz for regional leaders to put tourism high on the agenda. Premier Dr Ewing, speaking at the final press briefing on the last day of the 14th Annual Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-14) on Thursday at the Hyatt Regency, said “tourism has to be led in front by leaders.” He was agreeing with Cadiz who said support from leadership is critical. 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Has the time come to give greater consideration to the opportunity presented by what might be described as the space in between_ the millions of square miles of ocean and sea bed that lie between the islands and countries of the Caribbean? Largely unmapped, scarcely considered and vastly greater in promise than what, for the most part is possible onshore, it offers a new frontier.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - OVER the past couple of days enough was said to indicate that all is not well with trading relations between Barbados and some of its Caribbean partners; something which those in the business of exporting have complained about repeatedly.

PANAMA CITY, Panama, CMC, CMC – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has launched the second call for proposals for civil society organizations to carry out activities focused on poverty reduction and social inclusion and development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The announcement was made here by the IDB’s Executive Director for the Government of Japan, Yasuhiro Atsumi, at the IDB Annual Meeting, during the Civil Society in Public-Private Partnerships_ toward sustainable, inclusive development session, attended by about 200 delegates.