BWIA unfair say pilots By NADINE HOSEIN Trinidad Guardian The Ministry of Labour has recommended that Talpa change its collective agreement with BWIA, as a compromise in resolving the recent breakdown in negotiations between the airline and its pilots. While Talpa has agreed, the association feels it is being asked to compromise while the airline refused to move from its position and the pilots are not happy with this outcome. The final talks between The Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association and BWIA began on Thursday afternoon and went into the wee hours of Friday morning. In April 2000 Talpa signed a one-year agreement with BWIA, which included substantial concessions in the conditions of service in order to get the airline to continue its service to Tobago which was the BWIA Regional Express. This option would have kept the pilots protected under Talpa. However, the alternative option was decided on by the airline. This was the formation of a subsidiary Tobago Express, in which BWIA would dictate the terms of employment, Talpa said. "The problem arose when BWIA registered the one-year agreement. As far as we know the law stipulates that collective agreements must be between three and five years but this one got registered anyway. "Talpa is now being asked to regularise the agreement by converting it to a three- year agreement as required by law. "The company is asking us to agree in a long term legal agreement to terms and conditions which we conceded to in order to address the Tobago situation. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (TnT Medical Assn.) http://www.tntmedical.com/ (Trinidad & Tobago Medical Association) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************