TOUGH ON BWIA

Was Government's tough statement to BWIA West Indies Airways Limited that it must be prepared to make certain adjustments or it would be allowed to go under, really meant as a warning to BWIA workers and their representative unions to accept restructuring of the cash strapped airline or else?

The People's National Movement Government, which recently provided financial support for the airline, and has been approached for additional support, cannot appear to be soft on the issue of BWIA's unions challenging clearly needed restructuring of the airline, at the same time that it is going ahead with plans to restructure State-owned Caroni (1975) Limited. To do so would be to open a political Pandora's Box. The sugar workers and their families, and the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union, would then feel entitled to lay stress on what would be perceived as different strokes for the Caroni and BWIA ‘folks’.

While we do not believe that Government plans letting the airline collapse, particularly after guaranteeing a loan earlier this month for LIAT, along with the importance of BWIA to Trinidad and Tobago and regional tourism and trade, CARICOM nationals may find themselves having to pay more for travelling. In addition, scores of persons holding BWIA tickets may be inconvenienced. It is almost unbelievable that BWIA workers should continue to act as though their airline is insulated from all the events which have impacted adversely against airline travel, for example the slide in the United States economy from the fourth quarter of 2000; the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on the World Trade Centre, the long preparations for, and the war on Iraq. Major international airlines have either folded or cut back drastically on staff, with some discussing the implementing of further employee cuts.

Yet despite this, unions representing BWIA workers continue to argue against layoffs. The latest stated position of one of the unions in protesting the non payment of severance benefits to some of the workers laid off, ignores the truth that BWIA, because of its cash strapped position may only be able to pay these delayed benefits at this time, with financial support from Government. In other words the taxpayers. We, not unlike the unions, insist that the workers have to be paid their severance benefits. We recognise the trauma of being laid off but BWIA has had to develop new marketing strategies in an effort to build additional goodwill, which it clearly hopes will pay off in the coming months and years. One such strategy has been the offer of full refunds to persons with tickets [on certain routes], who may decide to cancel. It is a sensible and practical approach, as a sense of unease with respect to airline travel, generally, triggered by September 11, has been further heightened by the United States-United Kingdom invasion of Iraq.

The unions, whatever their reservations, should not attempt to dismiss as a bluff Government's warning that it was prepared to let BWIA West Indies Airways collapse if the airline did not make certain adjustments. Instead, they should note that while some of the world's airline majors, received financial aid from their respective Governments they still laid off several thousands of workers, while other airlines were allowed to collapse. BWIA should not be considered immune from the restructuring virus.