More than 20 Cayman Islands Port Authority night-shift workers have protested over alleged unpaid wages and working conditions.

The Caymanian Journal (TCJ) understands that the workers, who gathered at the port on Thursday, were raising concerns about pay and the way night operations are organised.

The protest comes just over a year after more than 50 current and former night-shift workers took legal action against the Authority, alleging at least CI $4.5 million in unpaid wages dating back eight years.

The latest dispute involves claims concerning overtime, consecutive night shifts, the structure of night operations and employees being called back to work while on vacation, TCJ understands from a source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The source said that proposals had previously been discussed with the Port Authority board for a five-night, nine-hour shift arrangement, and referred to a specific set of board meeting minutes, but TCJ was unable to independently verify those claims at the time of publication.

The source added that the board had backed the creation of an HR organisational review team rather than immediately adopting the proposed shift arrangement.

TCJ contacted the Port Authority but had not received a response by the time of publication. Minister for Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure Jay Ebanks declined to comment.

The latest protest follows court action brought in April 2025 by 57 claimants, comprising current and former workers and the next of kin of deceased workers. The claimants included truckers, large-forklift drivers, crane operators, assistant supervisors, mechanics, stevedores, small-forklift drivers, tally clerks and labourers. At least three named plaintiffs had died by the time the writ was filed, while others had left the Authority or moved overseas.

The workers alleged that they had been underpaid in several areas, including overtime and annual leave. The writ also alleged that employees who regularly worked 10 or 11-hour days had received annual-leave pay based on nine-hour days, and that some leave payments were calculated using an hourly rate below their basic wage.

The court action followed concerns raised with management in 2019 about annual-leave payments, according to the writ. The claimants sought the unpaid amounts, interest, costs and other relief from the court.
The issue of night-shift compensation was publicly examined before the 2025 litigation.

At a Public Accounts Committee hearing in January 2025, Port Director Paul Hurlston said the Authority’s employment contracts had not been updated as its shift system changed over the years.

“Unfortunately, again, the contracts were not updated,” Hurlston told the committee.

The latest dispute comes as the Government is investing heavily in maintaining and expanding Cayman’s cargo infrastructure.

In June, Parliament approved a CI $8 million equity investment in the Port Authority for strategic land acquisitions, vessels and operational equipment.

Infrastructure Minister Jay Ebanks MP had also highlighted the importance of Cayman’s cargo infrastructure that month.

“A country can’t grow without a proper port facility.”

The funding includes measures aimed at addressing capacity and equipment pressures at the existing George Town cargo operation. A July report on the allocation said CI $5 million was earmarked for land purchases, including areas around the Cargo Distribution Centre, with the balance directed towards Port Authority vehicles and equipment.

The importance of the operation is underscored by the volume of cargo moving through George Town. Government statistics recorded 781,200 tonnes of cargo landed at the port in 2022, along with 35,600 twenty-foot-equivalent container units.

The Authority’s own 2024 annual report said the port would require continued investment in infrastructure and human capital to build and maintain capacity. It also said the age and condition of its assets meant significant investment would be required to modernise infrastructure and operating equipment.

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority’s Regulatory Handbook, in setting out governance requirements for public authorities, states that a board of directors is responsible for the governance, policy and performance of an authority and the general conduct of its affairs and business. It also states that the board is accountable to Cabinet for its actions.

The Port Authority remains in a strong financial position by some recent measures. Government’s first-quarter 2026 financial report said the Authority was among the statutory authorities whose performance was better than expected during the period.

The latest allegations concerning proposed shift arrangements and the board’s response remain unverified by TCJ. The previous unpaid-wages claims, meanwhile, remain subject to the court process.

While the Port Authority had not responded to TCJ by the time of publication, they posted a video on social media paying tribute to their workforce.

The captions read:

“We recognise and thank our dedicated team today, tomorrow and always. We celebrate the professionalism, commitment, and daily efforts of our staff who keep our operations running safely and reliably. Most importantly, we honour the people whose work continues to move PACI forward. Happy Friday!”