There is no gainsaying the tremendous value of the action of Jamaican workers in forcing the owners of the means of production to recognise their true value and worth over the years.

Strikes, sick-outs and other forms of industrial actions in pursuit of a dispute have often been the only means by which workers could get the requisite attention from management. For that reason, we don't run off at the mouth or indulge in knee-jerk responses to industrial action by employees of any company.

But we most certainly insist that any such action on the part of any group of employees must be justified, must be last resort and must take into consideration the greater good of the country.

The action yesterday by flight attendants of the national airline, Air Jamaica, does not qualify on any of those counts. In fact, by their action, we suggest, the flight attendants have demonstrated beyond any doubt that the only interest they had in mind was entirely their own.

There is no way they could have been interested in the well-being of the airline from which they make their living by striking during the winter tourist season, even if that is the time when the airline is most vulnerable to industrial action.

Moreover, Air Jamaica cannot afford to lose one dollar of revenue at a time when all its costs, especially fuel costs, would have been skyrocketing. The flight attendants are not ignoramuses unaware of the ravages of the high oil prices on the country's economy.

We are convinced they have not spared a thought about the obstacles that are making it nigh impossible for airlines to keep afloat in our post-9/11 world.

More importantly, it is Jamaica's well-being that they are trifling with, though they couldn't care less. The national airline is responsible for bringing in the bulk of the tourists who come to vacation on our shores and give us our second highest source of foreign exchange.

Thousands of Jamaicans depend on the tourism industry for a living, but what does it matter, as long as the flight attendants get what they want?

We share with our readers and the flight attendants excerpts of this letter sent to the Observer yesterday from Mr John P Azar, which sums up the situation better than we could:
"Dear Editor,

It is 5:45 am at the time of writing and I am not amused! Having awoken two young children at 4:00 am to catch a 6:35 am flight to Miami, with medical appointments scheduled later in the day, I arrived at the airport to be told in a most callous manner that 'all Air Jamaica flights are cancelled as pilots and other staff are on a strike'.

While I am not questioning their right to take whatever action they see fit to protect their interests (including the extreme of going on strike), surely there must be a right and a wrong way to act!

Having confirmed my flight at 9:00 last night, couldn't someone then have advised that the flight would not be leaving? If the decision was taken after that time, couldn't someone have called the passengers to ensure that their situation was taken into account, or was the aim to get management's attention at all costs, including causing chaos amongst its passengers?

While one is quick to point out the destructive behaviour of those who block roads to get attention, action like this is equally destructive and seemingly far more sinister, as we would expect more from the so-called 'educated' ones in our society. On days like this, I find myself wondering why I continue to support our 'national carrier' when some persons there clearly don't give a damn!"

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