A group of men and women whose expertise has helped to prevent the importation of illegal guns and ammunition at the nation’s ports are fearing the worst for the country’s national security as their positions are being made redundant.

The more than 60 employees of Port Management Security Limited (PMSL), most of whom have military background, say they have been trying to get a meeting with The Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) President and CEO Professor Gordon Shirley in order to avoid what they predict will be a big problem as the services they provide will be transferred to Jamaica Customs Agency.

“We want the Government and the people of this country to know what is happening to us. They have been saying they will meet with us and it never happens, so we can’t sit and wait for that to happen for them to get the advantage because that is the strategy they use as a means to keep us quiet,” one of the workers told the
Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.

He claimed that Customs officers do not possess the skills that the PMSL team has in identifying guns and other contraband that are usually cleverly hidden in packages arriving at the ports.

“We are the ones who find the guns on the wharf
— every single gun find. The more than 60 guns that were found recently, it wasn’t the police, and it wasn’t Customs per se. They don’t have the experience like us,” he said.

“They are [going to put] the security of the country at risk because they are bringing in people who don’t have the knowledge. We are being shafted. We have a Government, so PAJ and Customs by themselves shouldn’t be in a position to [make a decision that will] put the country at risk,” he insisted.

Another member of the team said that they won’t stop pressing until someone sits and has dialogue with them about the way forward.

“We are going to take some kind of action. Someone must say ‘We are going to talk to these guys.’ From day one they decided they want to make us redundant. Even Customs has said they are not talking to us. They had no plan for us, so we don’t care about them anymore,” said the disgruntled worker.

The Observer’s efforts to get a comment on the matter from Professor Shirley were futile as his phone rang without an answer.

Another member of the team pointed out that when the company, which is a subsidiary of PAJ, was formed, the only qualifications that were asked of applicants were “loyalty, discipline, commitment, integrity, honesty, and a dedication to duty. That is why they hired ex-soldiers, because at the time a lot of guns and ammunition were seeping into the country”.

He said that now that the operations are being handed over to Jamaica Customs, workers are being told that they need a first degree.

“The members of the team who have been finding the guns and ammunition don’t have first degrees. What they have, though, are the skills to detect contraband,” he said.

In March, People’s National Party Member of Parliament for St Catherine Southern Fitz Jackson expressed concerns about the looming redundancies at PMSL, saying team members there make a crucial contribution to the preservation of national security.

“There appears to be a lack of provision for current employees who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and effectiveness in their roles. The success in intercepting illegal goods was not solely due to the collaboration with the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) and Jamaica Customs, but also owed greatly to the specialised skill set and professionalism of the PMSL team,” Jackson pointed out.

In a recent letter to their union representative, the PMSL employees recommended that “all workers who have met academic requirements for the programme should be promptly accepted and provided with a clear timeline for their integration into Jamaica Customs. For those who have not met the academic criteria but wish to pursue a career with the Jamaica Customs Agency, we propose offering a four-year contract or secondment from The Port Authority, with a mandatory commitment to complete their bachelor’s degree during that period.”

It continued: “Workers who decide to remain with the PAJ should be strategically placed within the organisation, based on their skill set to ensure their continued contribution.”

They also recommended that open communication be maintained with personnel who do not fall into the above categories to identify mutually beneficial solutions.

“Crucially, we request the establishment of a specific timeline for the implementation of these recommendations, ideally within the month of May. This time frame will help to alleviate anxiety and allow workers to make informed decisions about their futures,” the workers said.