Nassau Flight Services, AAAWU ink $3.5M agreement

Yet another industrial agreement has been signed under the Davis administration, this time between Nassau Flight Services (NFS) and the Airport, Airline and Allied Workers Union (AAAWU), bringing enhanced benefits to more than 200 employees.

The five-year agreement, valued at $3.5 million, was finalized today and includes a wide range of improvements for union members, from salary increments to expanded leave entitlements and a newly introduced early retirement clause.

NFS Chairman Obie Roberts praised the negotiation process, highlighting the tangible gains secured for staff.

“I wanted to highlight some of the accomplishments of this very successful union negotiation,” said Roberts. “We’ve had an increase in meal and travel allowances, sick days have gone up from 12 to 22, and personal emergency days have doubled from two to four. More importantly, we’ve now added an early retirement clause to our agreement, something that has never existed before.”

Roberts also acknowledged the government’s role in approving four salary increments to be phased in between 2025 and 2030.

He thanked the union negotiators, Labour Consultant Indira Bain, Paul Maynard, and General Manager Ricardo Rolle for their efforts in reaching the agreement.

AAAWU President Jewel Fountain called the deal a step forward for workers.

“We’ve made some progress during this session, and we hope the company continues to do well so that our members can benefit even more in the future,” Fountain said. “We encourage our members to remain diligent in their work ethic in the interest of both shareholders and stakeholders.”

Since taking office in 2021, the Davis-led Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) administration has overseen the signing of nearly 60 new industrial agreements, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to labor reform and worker empowerment in The Bahamas.