Airport Fire Crew strikes, Grand Turk flight operations halted leaving passengers stranded

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, March 23, 2018 – Airport firemen are today taking a stand for better working conditions and it has brought operations at the JAGS McCartney International Airport in Grand Turk to a grinding halt.  Magnetic Media is informed that the fire crew has many grievances which have over the years been expressed but are reportedly ignored by their employer, which is the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority.

Among the issues the fire men and women face are inhumane working conditions, they say.  The group continues to occupy a container, which has been the case since right after Hurricane Ike in 2008.  The container has no electricity, it has no restroom facilities and the furniture occupying the ‘hot’ space which is north of the airport terminal was brought in by the fire crew members themselves.

It is reported that the airport fire team has to cross the tarmac to use the restroom facilities at the main building and one rush to get to the restroom recently resulted in damage to their equipment.

The males often resort to using the restroom in nearby bushes we were told.

The fire crew’s handheld radios, which is how they are kept informed and alerted to any emergencies are not with them in the container at all times, they are left at the terminal building when they are being charged up because there is no power to the container, which they have been occupying for some 10 years now.

Employee Contracts are also an issue, say the fire crew.  It is charged that contracts are unfair and that while upper level management enjoys savory emoluments, the fire crew is made to contend with overbearing work schedules and resistance by management, to benefits like gratuities.

Magnetic Media had reached out to the TCIAA, which confirmed that ‘yes’ the fire crew is on strike.

“This disruption is due to inadequate fire service coverage. It is noted that of the eight scheduled firemen, only one showed up for work today which is insufficient to resume full operations.  All efforts are being made to restore safe flight operations in a short a time as possible, as alternate options are being sought. The TCIAA shall inform the general public once flights operations are able to resume.”

Longtime advocate for the fire men and women at the JAGS McCartney International Airport, Derek Taylor called the situation which has mushroomed to this point of the industrial action, ‘a shame.’

Hon Taylor today confirmed that the crew feels disrespected and neglected by the TCIAA.  

“For years I have been mentioning these problems, even at the House of Assembly and it is a sin and a shame that this is how these valuable members of our society are being treated.  Something needs to be done to improve the situation for them,” said Hon Taylor, an All Island Member of Parliament and a former Chief Minister.

An image was shared with Magnetic Media of luggage piling up at the airport in the Capital.

No airplanes are permitted, by Civil Aviation Standards, to take off or land at any airport unless there is an operative fire crew on site.

The airport’s fire team is also responsible, secondarily, for answering the call of domestic fires.