ALLEGATIONS by National Workers Union (NWU) General Secretary Granville Valentine of employee victimisation and other offences at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) have been rubbished by the agency’s CEO Andrew Wynter.

“PICA categorically states that it has never engaged in victimisation of its employees and will not participate in any such activity. The agency recognises the worth of its employees and values their contribution to building a world-class organisation,” Wynter said in a statement issued in response to a story in last week’s Sunday Observer reporting on Valentine’s claims.

“Over the years PICA prides itself in treating its members with respect, ensuring welfare and well-being remain at the utmost on our human relations agenda,” added Wynter.

Valentine, in a letter dated January 24, had accused PICA’s management of committing a breach by not honouring an agreement signed with the NWU.

Valentine had also claimed that the PICA management had started to use “brute force and intimidatory tactics” against certain workers, breaching the no victimisation clause.

“Management has also abused its authority by immediately transferring the workers from the Extension of Stay Unit, Waterloo Road location, to the Norman Manley International Airport,” Valentine said in the letter.

“They were also reverted from straight day work to shift work. Interestingly, the customary one-month notice period prior to a transfer being effective was not given to the affected workers,” he claimed.

Valentine also said the management had “deliberately and spitefully” sought to disrupt the daily lives of four employees.

However, Wynter denounced the claim that it had breached a signed agreement with the union.

He said he noted with interest that Valentine failed to inform the media that the letter was already sent to the agency by the NWU and that the agency had already provided a fulsome response in which it denied the said allegations.

“On January 16, 2023 immigration officers assigned to the Extension of Stay Unit at the Waterloo Road location refused work that was issued to them by their supervisors. When this was brought to the agency’s attention a meeting was held on January 17, 2023 where, after discussions and deliberations, both parties signed an agreement. Despite the agreement being made in good faith, within 24 hours certain officers decided to breach the said agreement by deciding not to work,” Wynter stated.

Addressing the NWU’s claim that management had abused its authority by immediately transferring the workers from the Extension of Stay Unit to Norman Manley International Airport, Wynter said that as a part of PICA’s normal operations, officers assigned to Waterloo Road provide assistance to the airports from time to time when required.

“This is done almost daily in the agency, and officers are reassigned at short notice based on the demands of the organisation. This process has been done repeatedly and the agency has never received any complaints from the unions. Through this reassignment process officers are never placed at any disadvantage,” Wynter said.

He also said that Valentine’s claim that four officers “were singled out and treated differently from every other worker, as it relates to location transfer, with a clear intent of disrupting their lives”, is without merit.

According to Wynter, the four officers were reassigned from the airport to PICA’s Waterloo Road office and, to date, there have been no complaints against the agency from either the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) or the NWU — which jointly represent the employees — nor has the agency been accused of victimisation against the four.

Wynter said PICA works with all groups, including the unions, to maintain harmony in the organisation; and to demonstrate this commitmentthe unions were recently included in the agency’s culture survey as the agency seeks to build a unified culture.

“The agency is extremely disappointed with the response of the NWU on this matter and it begs the question as to why the NWU is seeking to create disharmony between PICA’s management and its employees,” Wynter said.

“It is important to note that the management has never failed to meet with the NWU whenever there is an issue. On all occasions the management has been open and candid when dealing with the NWU. Whatever the issues, we stand ready at the table to have discussions to resolve [them],” Wynter said.

He reiterated that PICA’s management has acted “without bias or prejudice and within reason to address the situation, and the accusations levied against its management by the NWU are unfounded”.

Wynter added: “The management of PICA will continue to make decisions in the best interest of the organisation and its employees, and expects the unions to respect the rights of all parties concerned.”