To each his own
policy has always been the trend and TTAPA, the union that represents
the pilots, habitually takes very robus positions and because of
their power and influence the company would regularly kowtow to
their requests.
The common trend in most of the State-controlled enterprises is
that the workers at the lower end of the scale always endure the
brunt of the burden. Whenever a State enterprise finds itself in
difficulties, the sufferers are usually anticipated to make the
most sacrifice.
Deceased vibrant past ACAWU leader Paul Harrison always bemoaned
the manner in which the then CEO Ian Bertrand negogiated with the
union and the discrimination in relations to the terms and conditions
of employment of workers in comparison to the managerial staff.
Even today this modus opreandi is still functional, between 1993
and 2002, BWIA has had three major retrenchments and the management
staff was never altered.
As a matter of fact, the managers were never even shuffled nor down-graded
nor their compensation packages minimised.
On the contrary they were exalted and their salaries multiplied.
Most of the retrenched workers confirmed that the death of Paul
Harrison enfeebled the bargaining position of the union and they
were unable to get an acceptable level of representation and the
respect from BWIA managers.
Political influence and government policies always had a negative
impact on the company’s progress and this ensued the whimsical
dismissal of members of staff who had the vision to effectively
subscribe to whatever succes the airline enjoyed.
Remember the immense outcry from the union and workers after four
managers were indiscriminately axed -- Jefferson Joseph, Hilton
Waife, Robert De Silva and Raj Sarwan, who were all regarded as
the ones who took positive approaches and had the skills necessary
to really liberate the airline from its financial woes.
Newly appointed Chairman Arthur Lok Jack should review and consider
reversing some of the decisions and policies implemented by the
past managers that are at present stagnating and hindering the growth
and progress of the organisation.
It’s not too late for the chairman to investigate the company,
Staff Hire, which was awarded the contract to supply professional
personnel to BWIA.
For certain it would be surprising when he discovers that most of
these workers were sent on training programmes and were retrenched
and that they are now contracted employees working for Staff Hire.
BWIA is now paying these former workers in US rates and much more
than they were paid before they were retrenched.
Lok Jack can acquire the information by simply checking the names
of directors of the company.
However, if any conflict of interest emerges he must be prepared
to take the necessary actions to safeguard taxpayers from being
ripped off by ruthless predators.
Clearly the major enigma retarding BWIA’s success emanates
from the fact that the newly-appointed Board members usually have
limited knowledge about the aviation industry and the management
clique, pulls wool over their eyes which eventually leads to their
demise.
The lack of aviation technocrats on the Board of directors is most
definetly the cause of the airline’s dismal performance.
Remember how Acker was able to virtually con the government and
Joseph Esau with empty promises and all the refurbished equipment
purchased from the USA.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to analyse the fundamental
issues surrounding the inability of BWIA to be financially viable.
The common denominator that has outlived governments and State Boards
are the incompetent managers.
It’s a fact that most of the managers came through the ranks
of the company and this has resulted in unecessary victimisations
and petty controversies with their former colleagues.
Lok Jack should also commission an independent Human Resource firm
to review the qualifications of the managers and explore the possibility
of advertising the positions on the international market with a
view of attracting the best available talents to transform the fortunes
of the airline.
Now if Lok Jack has the testicular fortitude, he can shatter the
jinx and restructure BWIA by implementing some drastic measures.
Firstly, he has to annihilate the BWIA controllers, the clique of
managers or in other words beguilers who endure to witness the demise
of successive Board members.
The reputation that BWIA has acquired over the years as one of the
airlines impounded regularly for transporting drugs both cocaine
and marijuana which resulted in fines worth millions of dollars
to retrieve the plane ought to be handled immediately.
Since Lok Jack does not want to be tainted as being an upholder
of the drug trade, he must immediately correct the security problem
by replacing the temporary, ailing security chief who is at present
on a month-to-month contract.
The chairman also has to restrict the indiscriminate exploitation
of the airline by members of the government, friends and family
of managers.
If Lok Jack cannot redeem BWIA, the government must accept their
responsibility and get rid of the airline and be prepared to face
the consequences for the unholy mess that was designed by their
very own hands.
Failure to do so would only confirm in the minds of the public at
large that high government officials might not only be deeply involved
in facilitating narcotics trafficking in diplomatic pouches, but
may be depending on BWIA to provide transport. |
