By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC service staff will be relocated to a temporary site due to ongoing renovations at their Meeting Street building, conditions that led to staff walkouts from frustrated government workers yesterday.

The building, owned by the National Insurance Board (NIB), houses offices for both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Service.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said major renovations began months ago, including roof repairs.

He said that the breaker had to be shut down for electrical work yesterday, which temporarily disabled the air-conditioning, but noted the issue was later resolved.

However, the situation led several Ministry of Health staff to walk off the job yesterday.

Dr Darville said he believed the matter could have been handled internally, noting that a decision had already been made for workers to go home.

Still, Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU) president Kimsley Ferguson called the works “unacceptable” and said workers have endured unsafe conditions for weeks.

He even claimed one staff member was struck by falling debris during office hours.

“We are concerned that someone should behave themselves in a humane fashion to know that construction and productivity cannot happen all at the same time,” he said.

The union president said he’s asked for the building to be shut down until the renovations are complete.

Meanwhile, Labour and Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle also expressed frustration with the situation, noting that staff in her ministry were dismissed from 8am yesterday due to the conditions.

She said employees had already been on shortened schedules because it was initially believed the building could remain occupied during renovations. However, deeper work revealed additional problems, forcing full office closures and shortened work schedules to cope with the disruptions..

Mrs Glover-Rolle said she met with NIB officials to stress the urgency of completing the repairs. While she acknowledged NIB’s cooperation, she added that relocation has now become unavoidable.

“It’s come to a place now where for public service, it’s not feasible,” she told The Tribune yesterday. “So the public service ministry, we are seeking to in the shortest possible time, over the next week or two, to actually relocate to a temporary location that NIB has assisted us in securing because I refuse to allow our employees to be working in uncomfortable conditions.”

Mrs Glover-Rolle said more details on the new location will be announced later date as they work out the logistics.

Meanwhile, Dr Darville could not confirm whether staff in his ministry would be relocated or expected to return to work today.