News
Minister of Aviation Clears the Air on the Recent Firefighters’ Industrial Action
#TurksandCaicos, June 24, 2022 – On Saturday June 18, 2022, flight services and airport operations were suspended across the Turks and Caicos Islands for a period during the early hours, when Firefighters of the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) decided to take industrial action, in response to a recent pay raise that was awarded by the Cabinet and the TCIAA Board of Directors.
In receiving notice of the industrial action underway, the Authority and the Government met together with the Firefighters where issues were discussed, understanding of parties had, and resolutions agreed.
While there were some cancellations on Saturday, it should be noted that not all were as a result of the interruption in operations, which ended at 10:00 am that same morning, due to the swift action of the Government and the Authority.
The Minister with responsibility for Aviation and the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority within the Misick-led Progressive National Party (PNP) Government, the Honourable Arlington A. Musgrove, MHA, commenting on the matter stated the following:
“I would first like to thank the Firefighters for the work that they do in service to this country and also the Airports Authority for their efforts to resolve the long standing, and legacy, issues that have been neglected over the years.
The events of Saturday were unfortunate, but I am satisfied that the Government and the Authority have made, and continue to make, strides in the right direction to correct the discrepancies in the pay structure of the Authority which have existed for years.
This first of a two-phased approach to addressing pay and grade, saw every single fire fighter receiving a 15% increase in salary, while the whole of Government saw only 4% and 2% of which will be paid to NIB. The Cabinet also
Now, while this is not the final goal, the next step is to ensure that there is a proper salary grade structure for the entire body, which will give effect to further pay reviews, and while these things take time, the TCIAA and the Government remain committed to seeing this through.
In fact, the record will show that we, the PNP, are the only Government committed to seeing it through.
There is a lot of noise in the market currently, including that of the opposition, the PDM, but let me remind them of the record that successive PNP Governments stand on.
It is a matter of fact that the Firefighters have had two salary increases over the years, the first being 15% in July 2015, paid retroactively from April 2015, to all of the TCIAA staff including the Firefighters, under the Rufus Ewing-led PNP Government, and the second being a 15% in June 2022, paid retroactively from 1st April 2022, under this current Misick-led PNP Government.
I can also share the record of the TCIAA’s industrial action: In March 2012, under the Interim Administration there was a Firefighters strike; in March 2018 under the PDM there was a Firefighters strike; in August 2019 under the PDM there was another Firefighters strike; and in October 2019 under the PDM there was an Air Traffic Controllers strike.
During the period of the PDM Government four budgets and countless supplementary budgets were passed and not one of them sought to correct the salary concerns of the Firefighters, nor that of any other staff at the TCIAA – not one!
So, the PDM opposition should be the last to be calling out this Government for anything in relation to the improvement of the lives of the people of these islands, because what is abundantly clear, is that it is only under a PNP Government that the people are heard and get the results that they can see!”
Following the restoration of normal operations at the airports, the Authority and the Government together met with the Security Services of the TCIAA to address any concerns that they had about their recent pay increase and to demonstrate their commitment to addressing the pay discrepancies across the entire organization.
On the meeting with the Security Services, Minister Musgrove commented, “That was a very proactive approach taken by the Authority, to ensure that there is clear communication and understanding of the measures being taken by the TCIAA and the Government to improve the pay packages of the staff.
This work is ongoing and will not be achieved in one go, but it is important that staff know that we are working on their behalf and that they feel they can talk to us.
I take this opportunity to sincerely recognize the work of the interim CEO Mr. Godfrey Smith and the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Selvyn Hawkins, who from their inception recognized the insufficiency of the pay of staff and the absence of an equitable grading system. They have continued to champion the plight of the staff and the Cabinet has supported them at every turn.
This is what good Governments do, this is what PNP Governments do – we work for the good of the people, and yes sometimes silently, because I certainly have been taught that it is the emptiest of vessels that bellow noise and the most diligent of those that part seas!”