The union’s port, transport and aviation section said the company called a meeting and announced a new work roster.

The union said it was not prepared to accept this roster unless there is an agreement between the company and the union. It charged the company with introducing a new work system, which is different from the one being used today.

The workers have been told that as from Tuesday their shift will be changed.

The union condemned this unilateral introduction and said that unless a solution is found, it will be ‘forced’ to order industrial action as from Tuesday.

But sources at MIA gave a completely different picture.

They said the company had been meeting with the union for the better part of a year and no less than 32 meetings were held. They claimed the union wanted to prolong the discussions but the company wanted to reach a decision so that a new system could be implemented.

At a time when everyone, including MIA, wants to cut down on waste, sources said, and at a time to when the pattern of flights has changed to around 70 per cent of the flights arriving in the morning and only 30 per cent in the evening, it makes no sense for the airport to be short-staffed in the morning and have extra people with very light work in the evenings.

It was for these reasons the management wanted to change the shift patterns of the employees.