Leaders of the Bahamas Customs, Immigration and Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU) said yesterday its 1,140 members would continue to work-to-rule until the government meets with the union to negotiate and agree to an alternative shift system that "would be proper for customs and immigration officers".
However, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Immigration Brent Symonette reiterated yesterday that since 1996 immigration officers were hired specifically to do shift work and more recent employees have "definitely been hired under that term".
"I would suggest if they want to negotiate with the government, possibly they may consider coming back to work (on their rostered shifts) rather than disrupting the work at the airport and making demands of the government," Symonette told The Nassau Guardian.
He said immigration officers, including those scheduled to work in the evening, turned up for work at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) at 9 a.m. on Monday and again yesterday, disregarding the shift system in effect.
Officers rostered to work in the evening who turned up for work yesterday morning were sent home, said Symonette.
After the Free National Movement's (FNM) rally in Buckley's, Long Island on Monday night Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the union's actions appeared to be politically motivated and once again called upon workers to return to the implemented shift system.
"It is unthinkable that in these times that people do such nonsense," Ingraham said. "There will be a number of industrial actions that are politically motivated. It is orchestrated and planned."
Ingraham was referring to some of the middle managers at Bahamasair and some workers at the National Insurance Board who called in sick on Monday.
But Obie Ferguson, president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), told The Guardian the whole issue has been "a misunderstanding" and he was shocked at just how political it has become.
Ferguson also said the agreement executed between the government and Bahamas Public Service Union President John Pinder (who previously represented the officers) was being honored, but claimed it was not registered and cannot be considered the formal contract that governs the relationship between customs and immigration officers.
He claimed that general orders is the overriding contract under which all customs and immigration officers are employed.
"Our fight for these workers has nothing to do with their political preference or their association -- that is their business," said Ferguson.
"These officers are functioning in their capacity... and we call on the prime minister who is the major employer... to cause a meeting between the parties with a view of resolving whatever the differences are."
BCIAWU Vice President Sloane Smith claimed workers, at no point, went on strike or took any other sort of industrial action.
He insisted that they are working their regular eight hours in accordance with the legitimate general orders.
However, he acknowledged that their stance on the shift system has negatively impacted operations at LPIA, but said the problem could be easily rectified.
"The workers are not concerned with politics at this point," Smith said.
"They are concerned about how they are going to be impacted when they go to work; whether or not they are going to get days off; whether or not they can take care of their families; whether or not they can have them in the private schools to have the best education [and] whether or not they can keep their lights on.
"It has nothing to do with politics. That is not our concern and we categorically reject that whole notion because our issues have been around long before the political season."
Labour Minister Dion Foulkes told The Guardian he was baffled because he thought the union's recent meeting with the prime minister went well.
He said he would be happy to attempt to set up another meeting.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian