A CONNETICUT air cargo carrier is to pay US$8 million in compensation to nine former employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered Southern Air to pay the fine and to also drop the ongoing defamation lawsuit against them after the employees alleged that Southern had violated a number of safety regulations.
Brian Neff, Southern Air’s president, said: “We strongly disagree with these findings and believe the underlying claims on which the OSHA based its decision are completely without merit.
“We are also disappointed that OSHA’s investigators chose to release these findings without first performing a thorough investigation into the matter, including notifying Southern Air of any facts upon which they were relying to support their findings and providing Southern Air with a full opportunity to respond.
“It is our strong belief that we will prevail in our appeal once we have had the opportunity to present all the facts in the matter.
On the issue of the defamation lawsuit, Neff said “This is not a case of ‘whistleblowers’ being dismissed or retaliated against; this is an issue of Southern Air exercising its right to protect its reputation and business against false claims.”
