By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Ministry of Health staff walked off the job yesterday in protest over ongoing conditions at the Meeting Street office complex, which has been undergoing renovations for several weeks.

The offices house staff from both the Ministry of Health and the Department of Public Service. Kimsley Ferguson, president of the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU), asserted that the work environment has become dangerous and counter-productive due to construction activities taking place during regular working hours.

“We have been concerned for the past three weeks. There’s massive renovation taking place in this building, and it is all over the building. So persons are being impacted by the work there, even during working hours,” said Mr Ferguson.

Pia Glover-Rolle, minister of labour and the public service, acknowledged the situation and described the conditions at the building as “not decent”. She said steps are being taken to secure alternative accommodation for the affected employees.

“These are not conditions the staff should be working under. I am currently on my way to have a meeting with the NIB building manager to look at for an alternate location for these two ministries. While it was thought that the renovations could happen while the staff occupied the building, clearly that’s not the case,” said Mrs Glover-Rolle.

“As the minister of labour, I will not have employees working in conditions that are not decent working conditions; that are not conditions that are humane and conditions that are absolutely uncomfortable for them.”