| CEO continues dialogue with firefighters | | Print | |
| Written by Richard Green/richard@fptci.com | |||
| Friday, 23 March 2012 10:26 | |||
 Interim government Chief Executive Officer Patrick Boyle has met with airport firefighters on Grand Turk and Providenciales to talk about how to improve working conditions. Some firefighters at the Providenciales International Airport walked off the job March 10, causing a halt to commercial air traffic for a day and stranding thousands of tourists. The firefighters were protesting working conditions and details of a plan to move them from the civil service to the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA), an independent statutory board that runs the country’s airports. Firefighters from smaller airports on the other islands replaced those striking on Providenciales to get commercial flights back in the air, but those smaller airports had to be closed to air traffic over the weekend. The strike was ended March 11 after Boyle halted the transfer of firefighters to the TCIAA and agreed to meet with them to discuss other grievances. He met last week with firefighters at both the Providenciales on Grand Turk airports. Boyle toured both facilities and held extensive discussions with firefighters on ways to improve the current work environment and ensure the best possible delivery of this essential service, according to a government statement. The firefighters decided to elect a small group of representatives to continue the dialogue with Boyle and new Permanent Secretary Susan Malcolm of the Ministry of Environment and Home Affairs. “I have found my engagements with the two groups of firefighters very useful in establishing where we need to go in ensuring we have a fit for purpose fire service in the TCI,” Boyle said. “I look forward to continuing the dialogue with the representative group of firefighters and to working along with (Malcolm) and her ministry to put the best possible solutions in place.” The Providenciales Chamber of Commerce issued a statement March 21 saying it was satisfied that communication between both sides “have dramatically improved to what appears to be an amicable agreement resulted from open dialogue. It is hoped that this responsible behaviour will continue to be the chosen course of the interim administration and those who may have grievance with its policy decisions.” The chamber said the TCI economy can’t afford to negative impacts of strikes on tourism. “We must also highlight the fact that the TCI dare not appear to be an unreliable or unsafe international airport by the United States’ FAA or the United Kingdom’s CAA. The implications there would be even more catastrophic, possibly irreparable,” the chamber said. “Responsibility and thoughtfulness are key during these developmental times in The TCI, and we are all capable of them both,” the chamber said. Photo: CEO Patrick Boyle talks with firefighters.
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