fp Turks and Caicos

Sixty-five airport firefighters transferred from their government jobs May 1 to the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority in a move to improve service and avoid more airport-closing strikes.

“I feel confident this new management will give us more opportunities,” firefighter Michael Taylor said at a May 1 press conference announcing the changes.

“This completes the proposal which unfortunately saw an industrial dispute over the weekend of March 10-12,” said government CEO Patrick Boyle. “I very much regret the communications breakdown that occurred at that time between ourselves, the firefighters and their advisors. This is the right move at the right time.

“The firefighters will enjoy continuity of service and see significant investment in their abilities and competencies. Governments don’t know how to run specialist services like this — but the aviation experts at the TCIAA certainly do.”

The firefighters got full-time, permanent jobs with the same salary, pension and annual leave, plus 30 days of vacation leave pay when they officially left government.

The difference is that the authority is not unionised, and its directly employed staff cannot strike.

One reason for the strike was to call attention to needs of the airport fire service. Government agreed and responded with $600,000 to pay for new protective fire gear, uniforms, radios, first aid training, firefighting foam, vehicle maintenance, and upgrade and completion of training rigs.

“This is a sensible deal for everyone involved,” said Susan Malcolm, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Home Affairs. “It was an anomaly that the government provided aerodrome fire services, when the TCIAA as a statutory body exists for this very purpose.”

“We very much welcome the transfer of these firefighters,” said TCIAA Chief Executive John T. Smith. “It makes sense in so many ways — we can better integrate the firefighters with every aspect of our operations under a single management structure which is dedicated to the provision of excellent — and safe — airport services.”

In addition to employing the firefighters, the TCIAA will also get control of all firefighting lands for nominal rents to government. The authority also will provide a community firefighting service on the islands of Grand Turk, Salt Cay, South Caicos, North Caicos and Middle Caicos. Costs will be reimbursed by government.

Smith said the changes will not increase the cost of air travel in any way, as the cost is just shifting from one area to another.
“This is change is significant, in that the impact the fire service strikes have had on the airport, and further extension the economy and tourism, is quite profound,” Smith said.