Prime Minister John Briceño said the alleged mass ‘sick-out’ by immigration officers at the western border is suspicious and should be questioned.
Around a dozen officers reportedly called in sick at the same time, disrupting operations at the country’s busiest crossing. The Ministry of Immigration has since launched an investigation and taken administrative action against several staffers, suspecting the move was coordinated industrial action rather than a genuine health emergency.
The Public Service Union has defended the officers, insisting they followed proper sick leave procedures, and has warned the government it could face legal action over how the matter was handled.
But Briceño dismissed that defence. “You question when all of a sudden eight or ten officers get sick all at the same time,” he said. “They can’t get sick all at the same time. Something must be behind it.”
The Prime Minister also raised concerns about the legitimacy of some of the medical certificates submitted, noting allegations that some may be fraudulent, though he said he had not personally seen the documents.
Briceño directed pointed criticism at Public Service Union President, Dean Flowers, who he noted is a known supporter of the opposition United Democratic Party, saying political allegiances should not get in the way of resolving workplace disputes.
“He should set that aside and work with the government to address some of these issues,” Briceño said. “Instead of giving an example or talking to his members to say this is not the way to behave, he tends to want to celebrate them. It is really unfortunate.”
The Prime Minister said officers with grievances should bring them to their supervisors, CEOs, or ministers directly rather than staging what he characterised as an “illegal” walkout.
“They just can’t walk away and say ‘I sick’ because I don’t like something,” he said.
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