• HMGoG commits to Independent Health and Safety report
• Industrial Action will only inconvenience the public during a busy long weekend
• Government willing to continue meeting to discuss Union concerns

 HM Government of Gibraltar Officials today met Unite the Union and Borders and Coastguard Agency (BCA) representatives concerning the scheduled Industrial Action commencing Friday 24^th May 2024 at the Gibraltar/Spain frontier and at the airport.

The Government made clear that adequate channels are available for reporting Health and Safety concerns at the Gibraltar Air Terminal and elsewhere.  Gibraltar Air Terminal Ltd. have confirmed that there are no outstanding Health and Safety reports that require action, despite the union’s contrary position.

In any event, the Government has committed to instruct, within five working days, an independent Health and Safety Advisor to prepare and compile a Health and Safety report on matters of concern at the Gibraltar Airport Terminal with the first of their visits to commence within a fortnight. The Independent Advisor will be provided with full access to the airport and its infrastructure in keeping with any guidelines that protect passengers and staff, and will be able to examine any reports that BCA staff may have officially submitted.

Unite and its members are advised to provide their concerns through the established Health and Safety mechanisms so these may be logged, followed-up on, and corrected as the circumstances may require within the appropriate timeframe. The Independent Advisor will review any such reports. It is, therefore, incumbent on Unite’s BCA membership to participate in this process if they have issues of genuine concern.

The Government will proceed with this independent approach irrespective of the threat of Industrial Action, although it hopes that BCA and Unite understand that their threat is now even more hollow as it will simply result in inconveniencing the public and our community at large during what is expected to be a busy long weekend. The children, elderly and disabled who are inconvenienced will ask themselves why Unite members are acting in this way, given an independent process has been offered to resolve their grievances.

Separately, Government Officials at today’s meeting re-stated that the Union’s request for a separate and interim mess room exclusively for BCA staff is unfeasible pending the determination of a post-Brexit UK-EU deal. A staff room already exists within the Airport that is frequently used by all members of staff and works to add to or replace it now would be an unnecessary and unreasonable cost to the taxpayer. The Government is unwilling to give preferential treatment in this regard to BCA Officers over other workers within Gibraltar Airport solely on the basis of the organisation they work for. BCA Officers are reminded that a further two mess rooms are available to them: one at the frontier and one at BCA HQ.

Government Officials relayed their willingness and commitment to continue meeting and talking on the union’s concerns. However, this would be conditional on the state and level of Industrial Action exercised by the Union’s members.