A cheque has already been prepared to pay helicopter pilots attached to the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) Air Division, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said yesterday.
Speaking to the Guardian during a tour at Bamboo Village, Cedros, Dillon said arrangements have already been made to pay the pilots for the months of November, December and January.
Asked why the pilots had not been paid, Dillon said this matter was under investigation.
The pilots have been on a sick-out action over non-payment of salaries since November hampering the covert intelligence-gathering missions, according to national security sources.
“In terms of why they were not paid, the Permanent Secretary is doing an investigation into this and they will report to me as soon as possible,” Dillon said.
Asked to put a specific time-frame on when the pilots will receive their salaries, Dillon said, “I don’t want to put a time frame. Today we made arrangements to pay the outstanding salaries for November and December and we are also making arrangements to pay in January.”
Asked what impact this was having on State security apparatus, Dillon responded, “I don’t think this is impacting on the State at all. There is no serious impact because if there is an emergency, pilots will come out and do their jobs because that is the remit of National Security.”
He was responding to a Guardian Media report which stated the pilot’s action had the potential to affect the State’s ability to respond to a major national security. The pilots, who have been seconded from the National Helicopter Services, conduct border patrols, surveillance, respond to natural disasters and search and rescue missions.
Asked how the Ministry of National Security was able to obtain aerial surveillance in their absence, Dillon said, “We are getting aerial surveillance. I can assure you that we are because we have other helicopters that are under the charge of the Ministry of National Security so we can utilise them.” The AgustaWestland helicopters operated by the Air Guard are also down.
Dillon said the Ministry was acting speedily to deal with the problems facing pilots.
On Tuesday, the Guardian reported exclusively that the SSA Air Division pilots had engaged in sick-out action, grounding helicopters which provide support to the T&T Police Service and other areas of national security.