The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net CUSTOMS and Immigration Officers at the Lynden Pindling International Airport walked off the job yesterday morning, after a foul odour from raw sewerage became "unbearable", union officials confirmed. The walkout occurred around 8.30am and caused operations in the customs and immigration department to stop working for a little more than an hour. Sloane Smith, of the Bahamas Customs Immigration and Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU), said the officers have been complaining of the smell for quite some time. "The officers in the customs and immigration reported the odour to management a few months ago and nothing happened," he said. "What is happening is there is a pipe which runs through that area which carries waste, and the smell is horrible. It is really strong in the customs area and it flows over into immigration. "So from what I know, the men arrived to work and the smell was so overbearing they walked outside to catch themselves. "They were out there for a little over an hour before a representative, I'm assuming from the Nassau Airport Development Company, came in and directed the pipeline outside the building. When the problem was fixed, the men returned to work. It's a health issue, so they acted in a way that was constitutional and sanitary. They did what any responsible person would have." Shonalee Johnson, spokesman for NAD, said as far as she is aware there was no issue with customs yesterday. Ms Johnson said the area was temporarily closed for "maintenance." "The area shut down around 8.31am for maintenance and everyone was back at their posts by 9.20am. There was no impact on flights or anything because the first flight was scheduled for 9.30 and by then things were up and running," she said. This latest incident is just one of many customs and immigration officers have had with management in the last few months. Last month, 200 staff staged a protest outside their administrative complex on Thompson Boulevard after they claimed their concerns were not being heard. Among those concerns were: staff members not being paid hazard allowances where workers suffer from dusty substances; staff not being confirmed after years of work without any credible or legal reason; persons being disciplined for lateness while they should not be as it is defined as more than four times per calendar month. Such action has resulted in employees not being confirmed or promoted; employees shift premiums, call allowances or overtime not paid appropriately; reimbursements for courses of study outstanding. Mr Smith said he believes the government has a "personal vendetta" with customs and immigration because they refuse to give them basic necessities.