By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE government signed a new three-year industrial agreement with the Bahamas Customs, Immigration and Allied Workers Union (BCIAW) yesterday, approximately valued at $8m.

Since the previous industrial agreement in 2018, this completed agreement addresses issues such as increases in salary and allowances and expansion of dental and vision health insurance coverage.

With a union membership of some 1,300 members, president of BCIAW Sloan Smith spoke to the “marginal” increases that will be implemented as a result of the new agreement.

“This agreement has a number of things in it, primarily, we’re looking at the increase during a difficult time, the government is offering marginal increases, if I may say it that way. Though marginal, it is something that the membership accepted.

“In terms of increases, in the first year, we are looking at least one increment in terms of an increase, one increment, plus a normal increment. The second year, they are offering two increments, plus the normal increment, and then in the third year, one increment plus the nominal increment.”

Mr Smith expressed his gratitude to union members and encouraged them to remain motivated. “To the staff of customs and immigration who sometimes have difficulty with us and how we handle business in the union, I want to thank you for your patience,” he said. “We continue simply to say work, work for the government, work for yourselves and work for your families.”

Last month, State Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said the government was aiming to sign at last four new industrial agreements before the anniversary of its first year in office.

Earlier this year, the Davis administration signed new labour contracts with about five different unions, including the Bahamas Nurses Union, the Public Managers Union, the Bahamas Educators, Counsellors and Allied Workers Union and yesterday the Bahamas Teachers Union.

Just a few days shy of the government’s first year in office, Mrs Glover-Rolle said the government’s Blueprint for Change had committed them to re-establishing “harmonious” working relationships across the nation.

“That has been evident since day one when we took administration,” she said yesterday at the press conference.

She added: “By welcoming our trade unions back to the table immediately, by reforming and establishing an industrial relations unit that was ready to work on day one - that works around the clock, and has ensured that we have been successful in signing to date before year one is here, five industrial agreements, and that speaks to our administration’s commitment to labour and harmonious labour relations.”

Despite the country’s fiscal climate, Minister Glover-Rolle said the government is ensuring labour issues are addressed “expeditiously”, as they have taken into consideration the importance of workers in the nation, but most especially after coming out of a crisis in the pandemic.

Yesterday, Mrs Glover-Rolle explained that although the government is unable to do more currently, the recent signing represents a “first step”.

In attendance was the financial secretary, Simon Wilson, who spoke of the value of customs and immigration workers.

“If you understand the fiscal landscape, you understand the importance of customs and immigration, in terms of what they bring for the government and revenue. Customs generates directly and indirectly, one and a half billion dollars a year for revenue.

“Immigration, because they work hand in hand, is in that same figure. So, any value proposition has to take into account that this is the engine that drives the fiscal side of the government’s operations. And so, you cannot put it down to a simple value, because whatever we provide, we know, in our own discussions, you know, I have responsibility directly for Customs and I tell them all the time, what we pay them is not enough for the efforts they do.”

The contract will expire July 2025.