The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

A UNION boss has insisted Customs and Immigration officers did not take industrial action on Monday.

Responding to Labour Minister Shane Gibson’s threat to penalise any officer who took part in a strike or other action, vice-president of the Bahamas Customs and Immigration Allied Union Sloane Smith said union members stationed at the airport worked “according to the letter of the law.”

In the run-up to the election, airport officers abandoned the shift system under which their posts at the Lynden Pindling International Airport were manned until the last flight left each night, for the 9am-5pm work day stipulated in the general orders for public servants.

At the time, the union, which was agitating for a new industrial agreement, argued that in the absence of an official contract, general orders were the only official guideline to fall back on.

It is unclear to what extent the shift system was reintroduced after the election, but Mr Smith said union members worked their regular assigned hours, and therefore are not worried about a possible pay cut.

Minister Gibson’s warning about pay cuts came after claims of a possible strike at LPIA on Monday.

Union members were said to be planning to operate on a “work to rule” basis, possibly renewing their refusal to work outside the 9am-5pm stipulation.

But Mr Smith insisted officers worked their regular shifts on Monday and “nothing was going on”.

He said: “We are governed by certain public service regulations and they lay out what our hours are: Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, or whatever eight hour shift. All the staff worked their appropriate hours.

“If we did anything wrong the government can say and prove it. If the minister is threatening to cut salaries, I am sure he is aware of the law and how to follow it. He cannot penalise staff for working out regular hours. We are not worried. One would have had to do something contrary to the rules that govern us and we didn’t. If the minister is suggesting cutting salaries it seems he is taking a page out of the book of the previous administration and he doesn’t want to do that.”

Mr Smith said the union has not heard from Mr Gibson since June 27 and all industrial agreement conversations took place with the Permanent Secretary.

“Her efforts geared toward resolving our issues and our counter proposal have been amazing. We have had no conversations with the minister. He knows where to find us if he wanted to reach us,” he said.

“We met with the PS who is responsible for ensuring all our needs are met and we have confidence in her. She has done a fantastic job. Not just with the counter proposal but also in seeking to correct things that have been happening improperly in Customs and Immigration.”

Last week, Mr Smith told The Tribune the new government had until the end of August to initiate an industrial agreement conversation before union members “speak and speak very loudly.”

Mr Smith said the union is simply asking the government to live up to the promises made by the PLP during the election campaign.

“Quite frankly, we the leaders, are doing everything in our power to keep the members calm and at least give the government an opportunity to make good on its promises, unsolicited though they were.

“They promised to address our issues during the campaign at the time. So we are simply saying to them, let’s do the reasonable thing. Let’s get this matter resolved.”

Mr Smith said union officials attempted to meet with the new government on several occasions, but the government was “never ready.”

He said their main concerns are medical coverage for clerical workers, proper salaries for all in the bargaining unit and an increase in the level of insurance for members who have to carry firearms.

In April, Customs and Immigration workers staged a two week strike at eight locations throughout the Bahamas.

The strike ended when former Labour Minister Dion Foulkes referred their trade dispute to the Industrial Tribunal and told the officers they had 24 hours to return to work.