Bermuda Industrial Union President Chris Furbert today accused Continental Airlines of “disrespect” over the way it handled the axing of 13 jobs on the Island.

Mr. Furbert said at a press conference that the union would be encouraging its members to boycott the airline and would “ensure to do all we can to make sure Continental does not fly to this country”.

The company has enraged the union by outsourcing the 13 jobs to Sovereign Flight Operations without offering local employees the chance to be kept on.

Mr. Furbert said the worst insult was that workers expected their last day to be Monday but were told by Continental staff on Sunday not to bother showing up for their last day.

Some staff members not in work on Sunday found out from four taxi drivers sent to deliver letters to their homes. Mr. Furbert said he found it astonishing in 2008 that an employer who was a guest in this country could treat staff that way.

“This union will not tolerate that kind of behaviour from any employer,” he said. ‘If the employer thinks they are going to disrespect us by doing what they do, this organisation will not take this lying down.”

The BIU’s general council is due to meet at noon today to decide a course of action. Mr. Furbert said the union would be pushing for members to get a retroactive pay rise dating back to July 2007 which they had never received.

Read The Royal Gazette tomorrow for the full story.