RTC Director

A message from Her Majesty the Queen, Head of the Commonwealth.

One of the great benefits of today’s technology-based world is the range of opportunities it offers to understand and appreciate how others live: we can see, hear and enter into the experience of people in communities and circumstances far removed from our own.

A remarkable insight we gain from such windows on the world is that, however different outward appearances may be, we share a great deal in common.

Our circumstances and surroundings may vary enormously, for example in the food we eat and the clothes we wear, but we share one humanity, and this draws us all together. The joys of celebration and sympathy of sadness may be expressed differently but they are felt in the same way the world over.

How we express our identities reveals both a rich diversity and many common threads. Through the creative genius of artists – whether they be writers, actors, film-makers, dancers or musicians – we can see both the range of our cultures and the elements of our shared humanity.

“Connecting Cultures”, our Commonwealth theme this year, encourages us to consider the special opportunities we have, as members of this unique gathering of nations, to celebrate an extraordinary cultural tapestry that reflects our many individual and collective identities. The Commonwealth treasures and respects this wealth of diversity.

Connecting cultures is more, however, than observing others and the ways in which they express themselves. This year, our Commonwealth focus seeks to explore how we can share and strengthen the bond of Commonwealth citizenship we already enjoy by using our cultural connections to help bring us even closer together, as family and friends across the globe.

To support this theme, a special song has been composed for the Commonwealth, ‘Stronger as One’. There are any number of ways in which that single piece of music alone can be played or sung anywhere in the Commonwealth. And by sharing the same music with our own personal interpretations and contributions, the wonderful human attribute of imagination is nourished, and we gain insights of understanding and appreciation of others.

The Commonwealth offers a pathway for this greater understanding and the opportunity to expand upon our shared experiences in a wider world. A world in which paths to mutual respect and common cause may also be explored and which can draw us together, stronger and better than before.

by RTC Director

CEO ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER AGREEMENT

Commenting on the conclusion of the fire fighters at Turks and Caicos Airports, Patrick Boyle, Chief Executive, TCI Government said in a statement to RTC news:

“Our ongoing discussions with the fire-fighters and their representatives throughout the weekend produced a positive result late yesterday afternoon with the calling off of further industrial action.

“We have agreed the following package with fire-fighters: that proposals to transfer fire-fighters to the TCI Airport Authority are withdrawn; we are committed to investing in essential safety equipment; we will review pay as part of the wider civil service review; further assess training needs and develop a plan to maintain training to the highest international standards; I will visit staff in both Provo and Grand Turk airport fire stations this week.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the public servants who worked with us to minimise the impact of the action reopening Providenciales Airport again on Saturday afternoon and keeping it open throughout on Sunday. I am  sorry that the other airports had to close as we could not muster sufficient numbers of fire-fighters at them to allow them to meet minimum safety requirements.

“I am also sorry for the inconvenience caused to thousands of tourists and to local tourism-based businesses. This is a dispute from which no winners emerged.

“It arose despite our communications with the fire-fighters over a period of time which had informed them that it was the Government’s intention to transfer them to the TCI Airports Authority. Such a transfer would have protected their rights and conditions of service such as pay, length of employment  and pensions. Further, under the terms of the transfer we would have given the TCIAA $500,000 for improvements at the family islands airports, such as South Caicos and Salt Cay. While it is clear that in the circumstances the strike was unjustified, I am looking forward to working with the fire-fighters to ensure an effective and modern airports fire service in TCI.”

RTC can now confirm that the Governor will be on RTC Wednesday 14th to talk about the strike among other issues including the milestones.

by RTC Director

UPDATE ON STAND OFF WITH FIREFIGHTERS & TCIG

In the on going debate between TCIG & the CSA as mediators for the fire fighters the following is the latest to RTC News.

On Sunday March 11, 2012 at 3pm, the Interim Administration represented by CEO, Mr. Patrick Boyle, Mr. Mark Greenway and Mr. Peter White met with Fire Officers on Grand Turk and Providenciales who were represented by the CSA's President, Vice President, PRO and Legal advisor. At the meeting, the issues relating to the continued strike action by the Fire Officers were discussed.

These issues are as follows:

1. The termination of the services of Fire Officers from TCIG without payment of severance as required by law.

2. The poor conditions of the office and working facilities in Grand Turk, Providenciales and the Family Islands. This is particularly the case in Grand Turk where officers are working out of a mole infested trailer without proper security and ventilation since 2008.

3. The allegations of poor management of the Fire Department

4. The lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and the sharing of PPE, which poses significant health risks. Also the issue of PPEs being poorly maintained and insulated, putting Fire Officers at risk of significant injuries and death while attending to fires.

5. The lack of working equipment and vehicles which are poorly maintained and hence putting the lives of the Firemen and flight passengers at risk.

6. Lack of ongoing training of Fire Officers to maintain skills and competencies.

7. The poor remuneration of Fire Officers who are some of the lowest paid Civil Servants

8. The lack of risk allowances and inadequate insurance coverage for the vital and essential frontline employees who have a very high risk of injury.

9. The exclusion of Fire Officers from applying for the Voluntary Severance Package

10. Inter Alia

The issues were discussed in detail and the following decisions were made:

1. TCIG maintained that the termination of the services of the Fire Officers and their employment in TCIAA was off the table and would not be reintroduced by TCIG unless requested and discussed by Fire Officers and CSA.

2. With the above decision the payment of severance was unnecessary

3. The CSA and Fire Officers maintained that the transfer of the Aerodrome Fire Service to TCIAA was an excellent policy decision except for the non-payment of severance to those persons to be terminated. CSA indicated that it intends to reintroduce the subject of transfer of the Aerodrome Fire Service to TCIAA at a later date.

4. TCIG gave assurances that the following issues would be addressed expeditiously in the interest and wel-being of the Fire Officers and the safety of the officers and traveling public:

   1. As soon as possible (exact timeline to be agreed upon in follow up meetings), to provide proper safe working and office facilities that comply with accepted occupational health and safety standards.

   2. To address management issues within the Fire Department.

   3. To allow Fire Officers to apply for voluntary severance if they so desire.

   4. To provide adequate numbers of well-maintained and safe PPEs for use by Fire Officers thereby reducing their risk of injury and death.

   5. To provide appropriate work equipment and vehicles which are properly maintained thereby reducing the risk of injury and death to Firemen and the traveling public.

   6. To provide ongoing training for Fire Officers to maintain skills and competencies

   7. To make provisions for the re-grading of the salaries of Fire Officers as part of the general re-grading of Civil Servants and the payment of risk allowances and insurance coverage.

   8. By the middle of this week the CEO would visit Fire Officers at the aerodromes on Grand Turk and Providenciales especially to further discuss these issues and the timelines for resolution.

   9. The CEO, Fire Officers and CSA will follow up on the progress made with the resolution of these issues against agreed timelines.

The Fire Officers were satisfied with the assurances given by the Administration that their concerns would be addressed as agreed to by TCIG, CSA and Fire Officers in accordance with the resolution statements above. This being the case the strike action ceased and the Fire Officers returned to work as of 5:30 pm March 11, 2012.

CSA

by RTC Director

CSA RESPONSE TO CEO OF TCIG

On Friday evening of March 9, 2012 a number of Fire Officers employed with TCIG were issued letters terminating their services with TCIG and outlining terms and conditions under which 
they were to be employed with Turks and Caicos Airports Authority (TCIAA). 

However, these letters did not make provision for Fire Officers being terminated to be paid severance as required by Law.
 The Fire Officers were unhappy with this offer as it denied them of their severance pay and hence they took the actions that they considered necessary to get the attention of the
 Administration to deal with them fairly and to also address   the many issues plaguing the Fire Services that have been neglected since 2008. 

The CSA assisted the Fire Officers in negotiating with the Interim Administration in the interest of resolving these issues and returning the aerodrome to normalcy.
The Administration refused to concede to the requests made by the CSA on behalf of the Fire Officers and refused to have a meeting with the Fire Officers to resolve the issues.
 However, the Administration sent out an email withdrawing the letters of termination of services issued to the Fire Officers on March 9, 2012 in an attempt to bring closure to the actions
 being taken by the Fire Officers. 

The Fire Officers are of the position that there were too many promises in the past that were not kept and that despite the letters of termination being withdrawn,
 they will not let up until the Administration meet with them to discuss their many issues which existed since hurricane Ike in 2008. 
They are viewing the withdrawal of the termination letters as a delay tactic in the interest of getting the services back up and running without care to really address the concerns of the
 Fire Officers. 
The Fire Officers have been requesting an urgent meeting with the Administration since March 10, the beginning of the action. 

With respect to the press release issued by the Administration, we wish to make it clear that letters of termination were issued  late in the evening on March 9, 2012 and not 1 week ago 
as indicated by the the press release of yesterday. We also wish to challenge the severance amount that was quoted at over 3 million dollars. 
The TCIG press release of last week stated that TCIG paid out 2.7 million dollars in voluntary severance to 225 civil servants who were accepted to date. 
So it is inconceivable that the payment of regular severance to 84 very poorly paid Fire Officers can can cost over 3 million dollars.
 These statements made by the Interim Administration are reckless and deliberately misleading. 


CSA President 

by RTC Director