In this country, which attracts so many tourists and is so welcoming towards them, it can?t be said that all foreigners are most welcome. Particularly when they are employed to come and restore order and method in public or parastatal institutions. Bill Duff in the prisons, Bert Cunningham at customs and, more recently, Philip Cash at the airport have all faced spokes in their wheels and been more or less discouraged from doing their jobs.

The latest incident occurred with chief operations officer (COO) of Airports of Mauritius, Philip Cash. His car caught fire last week as he was driving to work. The police are still investigating but have not made any conclusions public so far. However, this incident occured at a time of tension between unions and AML?s COO. The problem is a long-standing one springing from wage negotiations with trade unions. As soon as Vijay Poonoosamy was appointed AML?s executive chairman, he committed himself with AML employees? unions to a 7% wage increase. But the board has always rejected this decision because these unions had an undertaking concerning wage increases.

Revision of salaries

Nevertheless, the board agreed to appoint an independent consultant to make recommendations on an eventual salary rise. Kemp Chatteris Deloitte was chosen and confirmed the Board?s opinion that no rise should occur. A meeting between the consultants and the trade unions even turned sour.

In 1995, when AML employees left the public sector to join the private company, they obtained a 15% wage rise as incentive. It was then agreed that wage revisions would be examined every five years. Yet, PriceWater House Coopers had recommended not to apply such an increase but the then board chairman, Dev Manraj, decided in 2002 to grant the 15% rise following union pressure.

No revision of salaries should thus have occurred until 2005 as planned in 1995. But following the PRB report in 2003, unions started pestering management. Yousouf Sooklall, AML employees union?s negotiator, is adamant about his point and even said on air that Philip Cash is ?anti unionist?. The unions are now asking that he should leave.

But this is not the only issue: when the European Bank of Investment accepted to finance one-third of the Rs 3-billion Plaisance extension project, it insisted that the project implementation team ?includes at least one individual with appropriate experience in implementation of large scale airport projects.? Philip Cash has 25 years experience and he was appointed two years ago because he was the best candidate with extensive experience in large airport management.