By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

ZNS employees in Freeport staged a sick-out yesterday to protest “unsafe” working conditions at the office in the Harold DeGregory Complex, which was flooded during Hurricane Dorian.

Thirty-five of the public broadcasting company’s 50 employees called in sick, leaving only the management staff to run the television and radio operations on Grand Bahama.

According to reports, employees in the television and news department had expressed concerns about mould and the lack of functioning elevators in the building, which was under two to three feet of water during the hurricane.

The staff complained of various health issues, including headaches, eyes, nose and throat irritations, and had requested that management address their issues.

Employees had asked management to reduce their work hours in the building until the issue of mould could be addressed.

The elevators in the building are also out of service since the storm and employees now have to walk several flights of stairs everyday to the ZNS offices located on the second floor of the building.

Employees had voiced concerns to management, but nothing had been done to address issues, according to a reliable source.

A union official confirmed that staff had called in sick yesterday.

During the storm, the Harold DeGregory Complex became flooded, forcing the evacuation of members of the Emergency Operation Centre, which was located on the ground floor.

The building is occupied by several government offices, including the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation, ZNS, and the Office of the Prime Minister, which is located on the fourth floor.