The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Staff Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net CUSTOMS and Immigration workers were ordered by union officials to abandon their current shift schedule today amid claims there are no legal parameters governing the existing system. However, government officials last night said no formal complaint was filed by the Bahamas Customs Immigration Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU), bargaining agents for both departments. BCIAWU acting president Sloane Smith advised staff to revert to the schedule set for public servants in General Orders, which outlines a standard work schedule as 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. During a press conference yesterday, Mr Smith charged that the new mandate will remain until employees have a registered document outlining proper shift structure. The shift system has been a longstanding contentious issue for customs and immigration workers, who feel that there are no guidelines to organize and evenly distribute overtime work. Labour officials, union representatives and staff met with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on Saturday to discuss the trade dispute stemming from the 2005 Industrial Agreement, which was negotiated by the Bahamas Public Services Union. Mr Smith said: "The Prime Minister essentially said [at the meeting] that particular document has no value, that document was used to place the staff on a shift system, so if the document has no value why in fact was the staff placed on a shift system?" "Further his statement was that customs and immigration staff are governed by General Orders." Mr Smith added: "We are now asking the Prime Minister to cause the office of the Director of Immigration and the Comptroller of Customs to set up a working schedule replete with appropriate ranks to properly staff the airports, the dock, and the marinas before 9am, after 5pm, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays." Last night, Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes and Director of Immigration Jack Thompson both said they could not comment fully on the matter as they were unaware of the shift change ordered by the union. Mr Foulkes said: "I don't understand it, I don't see what their position is. "The Prime Minister accepted the fact that the shift system came in to effect under the Progressive Liberal Party. He acknowledged that anybody that works beyond that would be paid pursuant to the employment act." At Saturday's meeting, Mr Ingraham advised that workers will be compensated for overtime pay as far back as March 31 2010. Union officials are now compiling a report of all eligible persons. While grateful for the progress, Mr Smith noted that the issues presented did not have to escalate to the top management level as the union's cries had gone unanswered for two years. "By the government agreeing that the rate that they used to pay staff for the past two years, by them simply agreeing, their admitting that they were wrong in the first place for the application of the flat rate." "We are still pleased that the government has conceded that the appropriate rates to be assessed the customs and immigration staff when they work overtime hours are the rates that are associated with your salaries." According to union officials, it was also promised that workers at the top of their salary scale will receive five weeks vacation; the promotion of guards to the rank of officers; and that Immigration workers would be afforded a shuttle for transport to the airport.