Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on the weekend warned immigration officers absent from their posts at Lynden Pindling International Airport to return to work or face the consequences.
Ingraham called an emergency press conference after arriving in Exuma on Saturday for the official opening of the Free National Movement's (FNM) constituency office.
He told reporters that none of the immigration line staff and very few senior officers showed up for work at LPIA.
"Jack Thompson (director of immigration) actually had to man a booth to process passengers," Ingraham explained.
"The DPM (deputy prime minister) spent several hours assisting with the dispatch of passengers to the queue... His assistance was invaluable.
"Between the peak arrival today (Saturday) between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. we literally had more than 1,000 passengers backed up into the new U.S. terminal, longer lines than we've ever seen before.
"Some people were in the queue for approximately two hours. There were people who fainted and no nurse was on duty.
"And unfortunately we had significant press calls on the British Air flight to cover Prince Harry's visit. They were very unhappy."
The workers were not on duty due to a dispute between the Bahamas Customs Immigration and Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU) and the government concerning overtime pay.
On Wednesday, Sloane Smith, vice president of the BCIAWU, advised members to show up to work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.
He added that the union was not happy with its meeting with the prime minister.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Immigration Brent Symonette told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that about 4,800 people arrived at LPIA on Saturday and 5,100 were expected yesterday, a 25 percent increase.
Ingraham lamented, "We cannot operate tomorrow (Sunday) as we did today.
"I therefore call upon immigration and customs officers to return to work. The shift system is in effect. In fact, if many of them would check their terms and conditions of employment they will find that since 1996 nearly all of them had been hired by the public service with a condition in their contract, which said you shall work on [a] shift.
"Persons who do not return to work forthwith will be dealt with by the public service without regard to any other consideration. We are serious about this."
According to Symonette, some of the workers returned to work on Sunday, but not all.
Five immigration officers were at work on Saturday, he said, adding that the roster called for 12.
"Today (Sunday)...I have 12 officers including the director and some senior officers manning LPIA," Symonette said.
"[The] 5,100 plus passengers we're having today are going through very smoothly."
He also spoke of his experience on Saturday: "I spoke to many of [the tourists] and they said they have been coming here for 23 odd years and this was the worst [experience] they've had and when I explained it was a work to rule by immigration officers, they understood."
On Saturday, the prime minister said the union's activities appeared to be politically motivated.
"I met with them last Saturday...and we had what I considered to be an amicable discussion about the issue they were concerned about," he said, adding that there were a few issues that the government would not touch.
He continued, "The question of overtime for immigration and customs is behind us. The Bahamas is never going to go back to the days of paying millions and millions of dollars in overtime pay to customs and immigration officers."
Ingraham said the officers would receive overtime pay in accordance with the Employment Act.
"So no amount of agitation on the part of immigration officers will change that unchangeable position. We increase pay for officers in immigration and customs so that a student coming out of high school with several BGCSEs at grade C and above can start working as a trainee for $18,500 per year.
"I daresay that's comfortable if not more than many could or would earn in the private sector of The Bahamas."
Ingraham said with unemployment still high, he found what immigration officers were doing 'galling'.
The union called a meeting with members last night. It is expected to provide details today on its next move.

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