US federal agency orders air cargo firm to drop lawsuit

A US FEDERAL labour agency has ordered a Connecticut-based air cargo company to drop its defamation lawsuit against nine ex-flight crew, who charged the firm with safety rule violations, reports The Hour daily of Norwalk, CT.

Southern Air filed a suit in Connecticut Superior Court after the workers made damaging allegations to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The court earlier upheld the company's position in a related legal action, a ruling, which prompted the firm to launch a defamation suit.

But the US Department of Labour's OSHA has since ordered the carrier to drop its lawsuit and pay the accused US$7.9 million in wages, damages and legal fees.

The federal agency claimed the company's lawsuit was in retaliation against their "protected activities" under the whistleblower provisions of the Wendell H Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act.

Said US Labour Secretary Hilda Solis: "This order sends a strong message that workers have the right to raise safety issues without fear of retaliation."

Said Southern Air president Brian Neff: We disagree with these findings and believe the underlying claims are without merit. We are disappointed that investigators chose to release these findings without providing Southern Air with an opportunity to respond. We will prevail once we have had the opportunity to present the facts. The Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] as conducted numerous safety inspections and Southern Air has been found to be compliant.

Source: Schednet