Govt must get involved now - BWIA union By JUHEL BROWNE T'dad Guardian Had Government intervened when BWIA first announced its restructuring exercise in January, the airline's financial crisis could have been prevented said Aviation Communication and Allied Workers Union president, Christopher Abraham. Abraham asserted BWIA employees might not be facing management's demands for cost cutting concession if the Government had gotten involved in January and took the workers into their confidence. Abraham is now calling on the new Government and its Prime Minister Patrick Manning to fulfil its responsibility since the State is the corporate soul of the airline. "We are hoping since the Government now is an elected government they would have their programmes," said Abraham y esterday in a telephone interview. "We need to meet with them urgently on the issue of BWIA. We are prepared to work together with the Government to save the airline." He was speaking an hour after he met with BWIA executives where he conveyed cost-cutting suggestions by BWIA employees. Their ideas, he said, would not affect their income or job security. BWIA employees belonging to ACAWU met with the union executive on Wednesday evening. On August 16, Manning said the dispute between BWIA management and its staff "is one in which the Government is well advised to stay away from". However, Manning said the Government is aware of the impact of BWIA's present circumstances and was monitoring the situation closely. Abraham believes BWIA must be a priority of the new Manning administration and explained Government cannot use the excuse of BWIA being a private enterprise since this is not accurate. "Although they claim it is a private company," Abraham said of the Government, "they retain golden share in that they have veto power". He also noted the Government has representatives on the BWIA board of directors. As BWIA's Corporate Sole, Abraham said, the government has the power to invite a union representative to sit on the airline's board of directors. Abraham said the new Government still has time to act but must not delay. "Given that the expectation that the economy will be buoyant the continuation of BWIA is critical to whatever prosperity the country will enjoy the air transport will enhance that.". 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: (ReadyMix) http://www.readymix.co.tt/ (ReadyMix Cement Ltd) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************