Jamaica News. Community lobby organised by Think Tank & Lobby Group Facilitators For a Better Jamaica (FFBJ) on Saturday 28th September 2013 at the Hive Room, Christ Church Centre, 197 Anerley Road in South London started the journey of what will be an intensive campaign seeking the reduction of airfares to Jamaica and the Caribbean and to increase baggage allowances from one suitcase to two suitcases.
Sylbourne Sydial, Founder / Executive Chair Facilitators for a better Jamaica at meeting
The first Consultative and Action meeting to address this issue was very successful. The long and short of the meeting was that the community is now determined and is resolved and won’t be letting up.
The view is that there will be no more acceptance of any more exploitation by British Airways and Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic. It is time for the community to send them a clear message that we have had enough and we want a reduction in fares and an increase in baggage allowances or the alternative is a possible outright boycott and seeking other ways of flying to the Caribbean.
The group was grateful to High Commissioner Hon. Aloun Assamba for sending a Representative Mr Trevor Pinnock to bring greetings and showing their support to the community efforts.
Panelists were as follows:
- Paul Lawrence, Life Coach and Mentor
- Venessa Mclean, Attorney at Law
- Michael Mason, Architect
- Chaired by Sylbourne Sydial, Executive Chair, FFBJ
The following action points were agreed:
- Collecting all Petitions which are presently out there on the same subject and pool them together as we are seeking for a minimum 10,000 signatures before we approach BA & Virgin Officially.
- Calling Community Consultative Meetings all over the UK to spread the word and galvanise support
- Collecting Names from visitors all to and from Jamaica as they will also benefit from the ultimate objective.
- Putting pressure on the Jamaica Government in establishing what they have done or is doing to address this issue.
- Press/Media Campaign
- Engaging with travel agents
- Establish a Facebook page to link all the campaign into
- Seek Jamaicans in Jamaica support as they will also be affected as they pay the same fares to the UK and have the same baggage allowances.
- Establish links with other UK Based Organisations to join the campaign.
- Seeking to establish why and if Caribbean Airlines and Fly Jamaica will come to the UK.
- Lobby our Local MPs to say that it is affecting our Human Rights (Article 8) “Right to family life”
Paul Lawrence, Life Coach & Mentor
Paul Lawrence, Life Coach & Mentor, said “The way how the airlines are operating could be classed as evil and we can’t expect them to listen to us as they listen to their shareholders but when their pocket is affected it will be a different story”
Venessa McLean, Attorney at Law stated “there are possible legal implications as their action could be infringing on Article 8 of the Human Rights Act “The right to family life”
It was agreed that what is required is for the airfares to go down to around the £500.00 mark, and for the baggage allowances to go back to two suitcases and if this does not happen it was agreed that there will be a call to boycott both airlines on key agreed months.
This will continue until there is a settled agreed position with British Airways and Virgin Airlines nothing more and nothing less, as the only way it is perceived that they will listen and act is only when their pockets are directly affected as talk is now considered very cheap.
As a result A Day of Petition is called for Brixton on Saturday 5th 2013
It is important that the campaign against the high airfares and reduction in baggage allowance on flights to Jamaica intensify quickly.
The campaign is using this day to raise awareness to this cause and to get an initial 10,000 signatures to strengthen our resolve and to send off letters to both British Airways and Virgin to let them know we are serious about this cause and to establish an effective dialogue.
Saffron Jackson Educator summed it up by saying “ACTION, NOT A BAG A MOUTH, this is just the beginning as we will be campaigning in most major towns and cities throughout the UK.”
Title: Community in action against exorbitant plane fares to Jamaica
When: 5th October 2013
Where: Windrush Square Brixton
Time: 1pm to 4pm
Sylbourne Sydial, Executive Chair of FFBJ, stated “ from the meeting there was a clear mandate and that is for the exorbitant airfares to be reduced to around the £500.00 mark and for the baggage allowances to go back to two suitcases simple and if not the community has made it clear that they are ready to boycott both airline and United We Stand and Success we will achieve”
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