BWIA meets Government deadline BY JUHEL BROWNE Guardian 05.15.03 Aviation sources yesterday confirmed BWIA met last week's deadline for submitting to Government its recommendations on the regulatory changes needed to meet the required increase in productivity from its flight staff. The report was completed and handed over to Government on Friday, sources said. The productivity proposal was one of several pre-conditions set by Government for the airline to receive a $116.8 million State loan. The recommendation on the regulatory changes concerning the revision of work and rest regulations for BWIA's flight staff were to be handed in by BWIA via the Civil Aviation Authority to Government on Friday. This was one of the several decisions made by an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Public Administration Minister Dr Lenny Saith and a BWIA Board committee led by deputy chairman Anthony Jacelon when they met on May 6. The CAA must approve all work and rest regulations for every carrier operating within its jurisdiction before they are implemented. "There is nothing to suggest they (BWIA) are not complying with the decisions," Saith said yesterday. He said BWIA did not have to hand over the report directly to his committee, since the work and rest regulations fell under the CAA. However, the Aviation Communication and Allied Workers' Union, representing BWIA flight attendants, was not consulted about the proposed changes, said union president Christopher Abraham. "We don't know how that (changes) will be achieved," said Abraham. "Our collective agreement can't be violated." Contacted yesterday for comment on the regulatory changes recommendations, BWIA spokesperson Clint Williams said: "Without commenting on the specific status of any particular item, be assured that management is working to the timetable given to it by the Board and Government in all areas." He gave no word on whether BWIA will meet tomorrow's deadline for the submission to Government of its revised policy on free and rebated travel by all of the airline's staff and retirees. "They are doing everything as far as I know," said Saith. "They will keep in touch with us." *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.cso.gov.tt TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************