On Wednesday 13 November, a number of employees of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas’ (BCB) Northern Service in Freeport called in sick over concerns of the presence of mold in the building that was badly damaged by Hurricane Dorian.
While the management of the BCB is disappointed in this action, which impacted operations, the health and welfare of all employees of the Corporation remain a priority for the management and by extension the Office of the Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for the BCB.
Last week, BCB management had a productive meeting with representatives of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) to provide a full briefing on the state of the building and a timeline for remedial work to be carried out.
During a meeting held on Tuesday 12 November between the management, the union representative and the company engaged to carry out the work a schedule was agreed upon for testing and application of the remediation. During this time, employees also had the opportunity to ask questions.
It was agreed that testing would be carried out on the following day, Wednesday 13 November. Remedial application is expected to begin on Tuesday 19 November.
Management also agreed to additional requests from the BCPOU related to reduced hours for the News and TV staff, an additional week off with pay for all employees. An extra week’s pay was promised to staff working extended shifts immediately following the passage of Hurricane Dorian.
Given the action taken to address employee concerns, management was surprised by the sick out that took place on Wednesday 13 November, less than 24 hours after the meeting.
The BCB Board and management and the Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for the Corporation are fully committed to ensuring that the appropriate action is taken to address all health and safety concerns.
The Board and Parliamentary Secretary are satisfied that all decisions made by management over the last few days to address concerns were carried out in the best interest of the Corporation and its employees.
When mold is present there is no such thing as shorter hours. You don’t breathe this stuff in period. It trails on shoes and whatever else it comes in contact with. Mold spores are not contained to a room once in a building the whole building must be remediated. Health first!
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