The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net AS the Bahamas Customs Immigration & Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU) holds a strike poll today on possible industrial action, Labour Director Howard Thompson urged the union to allow his department time to address its concerns about unpaid overtime pay. Mr Thompson acknowledged the union’s legal right to seek a strike certificate. However, he said the strike threat comes even though his department’s conciliation team was given a brief period to resolve its concerns. The BCIAWU filed a trade dispute with the Labour Department on September 13. He confirmed that the union will be granted a strike certificate if the strike poll results in a significant number of votes in favour of industrial action.  “The laws and regulations, employment laws and regulations of The Bahamas ought to be complied with, and that applies to all employees,” he said regarding claims that overtime pay has not been paid. “Yes, that’s a great concern to me as director.” BCIAWU president Deron Brooks told Tribune Business last week that members were frustrated over delays in receiving overtime and transportation payments. He complained that union members must also use personal vehicles for work-related matters. He also noted that the union had taken the government to court for a judicial review to determine the legality of hiring public officers on contract and won the case. “We’ve been reasonable,” he said. “We’ve always been reasonable. Our union, at one time, had two strike certificates. So we’re very responsible in our dealings. We don’t do things without good legal advice. We don’t do things to hurt the country, but we got to do what we have to do.”