The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL


Tribune Staff Reporter


jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE head of the union representing customs and immigration officers has called for Immigration Minister Alfred Sears to be fired, accusing him of ignoring months of complaints over promotions, pay and insurance.

The demand came during a press conference on Friday where the BCIAWU detailed what it described as deepening frustration among officers in the Immigration and Customs departments.

Mr Brooks said staff morale is low. Some officers, he said, have left their posts out of frustration or for better opportunities.

“I saw someone in one of the departments just recently did that,” he said. “The earlier part of last year, left the department to go into the private sector.”

“I’ve seen one or two persons just retire early, take early retirement. I talked to them. They said they just had enough. It’s a personal decision. They just got tired.”

The union outlined a string of unresolved issues: outstanding promotions, unpaid overtime, per diem and uniform allowances, delays in appointment letters and what it described as inadequate insurance coverage.

In July 2025, the government promoted 340 immigration officers, calling it the largest promotional exercise in the department’s history. Mr Brooks acknowledged the scale of the exercise but said many officers were left without promotion or were superseded without explanation.

He said officers promoted to the same rank now receive the same salary despite significant differences in years of service.

The union also criticised what it described as poor communication in the Customs Department. Mr Brooks said the union learnt of promotions in January only after congratulatory messages began circulating among staff. He said there was no prior consultation on the number of officers being promoted or the effective dates.

Another grievance centres on the hiring of contract workers in customs. Mr Brooks said the practice blocks career officers from advancing.

Insurance coverage remains a major flashpoint. Mr Brooks said that in April 2023, coverage for new hires was unilaterally changed, effective July 2023, so that dependants would be covered only at the employee’s expense. He said that in October last year, some officers experienced claims that were not honoured and that some employees hired before 2023 were unable to add spouses or children to their policies.

He said he supports the position taken by the Police Staff Association, which has raised similar concerns about officers not receiving full insurance coverage.

At the centre of the dispute is the union’s relationship with Mr Sears. Mr Brooks said the BCIAWU has made repeated attempts for months — through calls, letters and emails — to secure a meeting with the minister, without success.

“This union has written to the Minister of Immigration several times, and even though he’ll go on the podium and say that he has an open-door policy, and he does things in collaboration with the union, the truth is not his friend,” Mr Brooks said.

Asked when the last meeting between the union and Mr Sears took place, he said the minister has never met with the BCIAWU.

He noted that representatives of both the Trade Union Congress and the BCIAWU have attempted to contact him.

“If we could meet with all these ministers, and all them made the time to see us, why can’t we meet with the Minister of Immigration?” Mr Brooks said. “He doesn’t care. If he cared, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

During the press conference, Mr Brooks held up a pair of dominoes as a visual aid, describing them as “hard cards” he was pushing on the minister. He then slammed the dominoes on the desk as he renewed his call for Mr Sears’ dismissal.

Trade Union Congress president Obie Ferguson said he recently met with affiliates and told them they must do what is necessary to obtain what they are entitled to. He added that a decision was seemingly made to take action, although the matter has not yet been finalised and remains in progress.

Asked whether the BCIAWU is considering industrial action, Mr Brooks said the focus remains on resolving the issues without taking that step.

The union shared copies of correspondence dating back to July 2025 addressed to Mr Sears, Minister of Labour and Public Service Pia Glover Rolle and Financial Secretary Simon Wilson.

Mrs Glover Rolle told reporters she did not receive some of the union’s emails because of technical difficulties, but confirmed she received a written letter on Thursday. She said she is not aware of any outstanding matters for the BCIAWU within the public service. She added that Mr Brooks recently contacted her about outstanding promotions for immigration and customs officers and that she directed him to the permanent secretary in the relevant ministry.

Up to press time, Mr Sears did not respond to The Tribune’s calls or messages. In June, the Member of Parliament for Fort Charlotte announced that he would not run in the next general election.