UPDATE: Gov’t denies HM Customs had planned to strike
In the statement headlined ‘No threat of strike by Customs Officers’, Government said the Deputy Governor has met with members of the Customs Staff Association “and would like to dispel any rumors of Customs Officers striking due to outstanding increment payments. A press statement will follow shortly.”
Further Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) told a local news outlet, “News reports that Customs was planning a strike this morning are false. Myself, the Deputy Governor, the Financial Secretary and members of the Customs department had a meeting discussing various areas of concern for Customs. The spokesperson for the group made it clear that no industrial action was planned.
Dr Wheatley said the goal of HM Customs was to have a meeting where they could get feedback on their concerns.
The Premier added that the meeting, held just after 7:00 AM, before regular working hours, “was very productive and a number of action items were committed to in order to address the concerns,” Dr Wheatley said.
Aggrieved staff members of HM Customs are still sticking to their story that they were preparing to take industrial action if their concerns were not met.
See previous article published July 19, 2023
HM Customs staff threaten strike action; Emergency meeting in progress
An emergency meeting is in progress between Deputy Governor David D. Archer Jr and senior persons in His Majesty's Customs in an attempt to avert a strike action planned by some staff of HM Customs today, July 19, 2023.
According to reports reaching our newsroom from sources close to the situation, some staff, especially lower-tiered staff, are aggrieved they have not been paid their promised increments, even though payments are reportedly being made to senior staff.
The frustrated staff members had planned a sick-out today.
The meeting with the Deputy Governor reportedly convened just after 7:00 AM.
Our News Centre will bring more details to this story as they come in.
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59 Responses to “UPDATE: Gov’t denies HM Customs had planned to strike”
We got enough stress
some serious &h!t(this is BVI History)
8 hour Party Done
now let the factual truth prevail
I call on the current Premier and his Ministers to swiftly negotiate seriously with the underpaid government workers across the board (every department). Empty promises are missing the mark too often. Put up or shut up. Pay up or or be face with a vote of "No confidence."
We need to be careful about winning battles but losing the war. Country shouid come first but country should do the right thing for the people. Both sides must compromise ( governing is about compromise and no side will get everything it needs) to get to the desired state. If the goose that lays the golden eye is slaughtered? Is that the desired state??? Our leaders must lead us out of this abyss.
This Premier should change his name to Pinocchio
I understand the civil service staff frustrations and other entities who are promise monies for remuneration of service and unable to received it but you have the same government spending monies on frivolous stuff. I get that and understand it.
What I don't get is civil servants in 2023 getting up and taking industrial action when they want to, disrupting public services to jhon public, I believe the time is ripe to have legislation in place for these bodies to give notice when they are going to strike, so that members of the public are aware in advance so they can plan around it, as in our case, travelling to San Juan but the airport is close. There must be a balance and I believe that government has misunderstood the people, we are living in different times and people are waking up.
What do you mean by 'eligible' officers? Please explain. The reason I ask this is because the government has workers employed and no evaluation has been done for the years in question: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022(if I am correct). How can the government wait until 2023 and have the Heads of Departments/supervisors rush appraisal forms, give some good appraisals and some bad appraisals? If an employee was not doing well why wasn't that communicated? Why weren't the heads of departments doing the appraisals at the end of every year? They weren't doing their jobs, yet they are getting their increments, but those who they give bad appraisals not getting any. This is injustice!! ALL CIVIL SERVANTS should receive their increments and then start afresh. If people are not doing their work from here on, send them home. The private companies do not operate in such an unprofessional way! Y'all should be ashamed of y'all selves!