PHANTOM AIRPORT STRIKE GROUNDED FOR TWO MONTHS

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000486 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSTIIVE DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - Jackie Rosholt, EEB/TRA for Viki Limaye-Davis E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR ELAB PGOV NS SUBJECT: PHANTOM AIRPORT STRIKE GROUNDED FOR TWO MONTHS Ref: Paramaribo 477, Paramaribo 479 ¶1. (U) Flight operations at the Johan Adolf Pengel airport will not be suspended; at least not for the next two months. A meeting with union leadership called by Vice President Ramdien Sardjoe on September 11 was reportedly fruitful. Sardjoe assured union executives that the situation at the airport is of great priority for the Government; after his personal appeal the union agreed to postpone the strike decision for two months. ¶2. (U) While union head Lloyd Read seemed optimistic, some members of the union did not share in his positive stance. They doubt the Government will make good on their demands within two months, as it has not done so in the past two years. ¶3. (SBU) One union member indicated to post that he was disappointed in the outcome, as he was at least hoping for a strike that would delay the flight of President Ronald Venetiaan for a short amount of time: Venetiaan is scheduled to leave Suriname on September 13. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: The union's bluff looks more flimsy by the day. In failing to take advantage of a golden chance to directly affect President Venetiaan, the union seemed to affirm that its position is merely posturing. END COMMENT