The Tribune

By NATARIO McsKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

NASSAU Airport Development (NAD) officials reported 'strong' passenger numbers during the Easter holiday weekend, after bracing for the impact of a strike initiated during the peak travel period by Customs and Immigration officers.

Shonalee Johnson, NAD's manager of communications, told Tribune Business that Customs and Immigration were adequately staffed and that all flights were operating on schedule.

Mrs Johnson said: "Customs and Immigration are adequately staffed to process passengers. All of our flights are on schedule. We have deployed all of our staff on the floor to help with line queues and baggage retrieval."

According to Mrs Johnson, total airport arrivals and departures on Thursday were strong, with arrivals estimated at 5,339 and US departures estimated at 4,269. Mrs Johnson said international arrivals for Saturday were estimated at 5,277, and departures at 4,792.

Sloane Smith, vice-president of the Bahamas Customs, Immigration and Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU), told Tribune Business that the union had invoked the use of its strike certificate, saying staff was tired of talking.

Mr Smith said: "The staff are tired of talking and not being properly heard by government, and so they invoked the use of the strike certificate. In New Providence, the major port of entry will be impacted, and that includes the airport as well as Hawkins Hill.

"We have done it all. We feel as though we have done the proper thing and tried to talk to the Government. It appears that our talking was really all for naught. It doesn't mean that they didn't try to do things, but what we recognise is that the points of any significance, those seem to be the ones they sought to ignore. All officers, uniform and non-uniform, have decided to strike. They are not taking us seriously as a body, as workers who give of their time, energy and abilities to advance the Government's agenda."

Mr Smith said the union would not extend good faith any longer. He added: "We are not going to extend any more good faith, because our good faith was trampled upon. When we in good faith returned to work after we decided to work 9 am-5 pm, we did it because the Government said it would come back and finish dealing with the trade disputes.

"They have not come back, and the document they sent to us did not reflect what we expected. Once we had adjusted the document that they had adjusted, there have been no conversations for the past month now."

Last month, Customs and Immigration officers were asked to revert to a standard public service work schedule of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, bringing a halt to the shift system. The shift system has been a long-standing contentious issue for the workers, who feel there are no guidelines to organise and evenly distribute overtime work.

Winston Rolle, chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC), told Tribune Business that the union's strike was at one of the worst possible times.

Mr Rolle said: "Any kind of strike now, when we are just trying to recover, is of grave concern. The tourism industry has been struggling for a while, and we are kind of shooting ourselves in the foot.

"Prudence has to be exercised. This might not be the best time to do this. I understand their concerns, and I am hoping that they get their issues addressed, but this is going to put us in a very bad position."

Attempts to reach state minister for finance Zhivargo Laing and Customs Comptroller, Charles Turner, for comment on the issue proved unsuccessful.