Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

After travelling to Barbados from West Africa on the first direct flight from the continent to the Gem of the Caribbean, passengers are calling for this route to become a permanent fixture on some airline’s roster.

They touched down in Barbados after traveling across the Atlantic on Ethiopian Airlines on August 31 – the UN International Day of Persons of African Descent.

Chatting with Loop News as they made their way from the aircraft and tarmac to the Arrivals Hall, Customs and Immigration at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), the general consensus is that a nonstop flight such as this would be a good thing “definitely”.

Loop chatted with travellers from Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania. The delegation is on island for the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum 2022 (ACTIF 2022) to be held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) from September 1 to September 3, 2022.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Some 130 passengers from various countries in West Africa landed in Barbados on the first direct flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Barbados on board Ethiopian Airlines this morning.

The flight was eight hours long with little turbulence.

Chatting with Loop on the tarmac in the shadow of the aircraft parked at Gate 10 at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), German-born captain Lars Mueller said that the direct flight was uneventful.

He said:

“It was straightforward, easy flight. The weather was nice. We had some clouds in the Atlantic but otherwise it was a smooth, uncomplicated flight.”

Asked if he thinks there should be a non-stop flight between the continent and Caribbean, he said that making that happen is out of his purview. But from the point of view of a pilot, it is feasible.

“That’s not up to me, it’s a matter of the two countries. I don’t know if there are enough people for a route for this…”

Speaking with his captain hat on, however, he asserted, “It’s no problem at all. It’s easy – the flight to come here, the airport, the facilities is perfect, the weather is always good. There is no problem at all.”

Noting the weather comment, Mueller revealed that this is not his first time touching down on Barbados soil though. But he was not at the helm, that time. He revealed, “I’ve been to Barbados 20 years ago for vacation and had a nice holiday here.”

And with those memories, plus today’s successful flight, he said that his boss would make the call on whether he will be repeating this trip in the future.

Ethiopian Airlines serves over 130 destinations around the globe. Mueller has been a pilot for more than 30 years.

The passengers who disembarked the flight around 10:40 am, today, August 31, 2022, are in Barbados for the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum 2022 (ACTIF 2022) to be held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) from September 1 to September 3, 2022. This inaugural forum is an initiative of the Government of Barbados and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). The comanagers of the Forum are Invest Barbados and Export Barbados. The direct flight was also made possible through the efforts of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI).

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The People’s National Party (PNP) has expressed outrage at the “gross, degrading and inhumane treatment” Jamaicans have been enduring on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Programme (SAWP) in Canada while calling on the Minister of Labour and Social Security to act in accordance with his portfolio or resign.

The party in a statement said that in August, Jamaican farmworkers in Canada penned an open letter to the government, outlining the “slave-like conditions” under which they are forced to work; and, have presented videos and voice notes depicting those conditions.

“This comes on the heels of a landmark case, where the court awarded compensation to other farmworkers for the abuse of their rights by their employers and the Canadian police,” the PNP said.

The Party notes that the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Karl Samuda recently went on a tour of some of the farms in Canada, yet did not find anything that jumped out at him in terms of ill-treatment, and “would like to remind the Government that this is not unusual in those circumstances”.

“We are not certain what the Minister expected to find on his cursory and official visit. We believe the Government ought to engage a special investigative team that has the necessary skills and training to embark on a fact-finding mission on behalf of our Jamaican citizens,” the party said.

According to the PNP, the characteristically “cavalier statements” of Samuda were insensitive and disrespectful to the Jamaican farm workers in Canada.

The PNP said it is “extremely disappointed” by the minister’s approach and “notes with disdain” the silence of Prime Minister Andrew Holness on the matter.

In a statement Thursday morning, Opposition Spokesperson on Labour and Social Security Dr Angela Brown Burke said: “We expect the Jamaican Government to stand in defence of its workers at home and abroad. The least that is required under the circumstances, is a proper investigation of the allegations.

“At this point, it is clear that the interest of our workers is of no importance to the minister who has always operated with indisposition towards the office, which he holds. If Minister Samuda is unwilling to act in the best interest of our citizens, he should resign.

“The workers’ pleas are totally understandable. They seek reasonable protection, acceptable working and living conditions, a safe and secure mechanism to report issues, assurance of independent investigations and a pathway to citizenship as a way of protecting their rights as workers.”

She noted further that while it is important to maintain good bilateral relationships, it is equally as important “for us to protect our citizens and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect”.

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Programme has allowed many Jamaicans to improve their quality of life since its inception. However, the arrangements now prevailing under the programme are said to be less than desirable.

“As a result, the liaison service which was introduced to protect our workers from abuse, no longer enjoys the confidence of the workers,” said Brown Burke.

The PNP is therefore calling on the prime minister to replace Samuda, launch an immediate investigation and begin discussions with the Canadian authorities to guarantee the minimum acceptable working conditions and rights for “our farm workers”.

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