Immigration officers at Norman Manley Airport on strike

The country's immigration authorities are scrambling to maintain normality at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston after more than a dozen immigration officers stayed away from work on Monday.

About 16 immigration officers who were scheduled to work at the airport on Monday did not report for regular duties but instead called in sick.

A statement issued Monday night by the Passport and Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) said the action by the immigration officers could be in protest against the non re-instatement of the payment of mileage claims from the officers for travelling from the Agency’s head office at Contant Spring Road to the airport.

PICA stated tha at icers who are stationed   Manley Airport are not required to report to the Constant Spring Road office in order to carry out their duties or meet any other operational requirements.

According to the agency, there has been a practice where officers claim for mileage for traveling from Constant Spring Road to the airport where they are stationed to work.

PICA said it has implemented strategies to ensure that the airports are properly manned to reduce any inconvenience to the public while the issue is being resolved.

The agency asserted that officers from other areas of operations have been re-deployed to the airport and this as well as other strategies will be utilised to continue normality at the transport hub for as long as necessary.