By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said the Government is aiming to relocate Ministry of Health and Department of Public Service staff from Meeting Street within the next two weeks.

Pia Glover-Rolle, minister of labour and the public service, responding after Ministry of Health staff walked off the job on Monday citng poor working conditions amid weeks’ long and ongoing renovations at that office complex, said: “There’s been some improvements, but we don’t think it’s improvements to the point where there should be long-term delay in terms of us leaving the current space and relocating.

“So our move is to relocate within the next two weeks to ensure that our employees are in decent working conditions; to ensure that they’re able to continue to do their work in comfortable conditions within both of our ministries.”

Mrs Glover-Rolle added that the Government has explored a new location and the Ministry of Health will do the same to work towards a speedy move.

“The landlord of the building that we currently occupy is the National Insurance Board,” Mrs Glover-Rolle said. “Yesterday, the director, the chairman, the buildings manager, they were all facilitating a meeting with us to look at a potential spot to relocate.

“We have walked that spot. The Ministry of Health will walk that spot today, and we’re going to do all we can to expedite a move for our employees that are currently in the Meeting Street building.” Mrs Glover-Rolle explained that it “was first communicated that the building would be able to be occupied while the renovations took place” but unexpected challenges came into play.

“As with renovations, the contractors ran into evidence of situations in the building that they weren’t at first anticipating. So that has not only delayed the process, but the weather has also compounded it, and the challenges are larger than they had first anticipated,” Mrs Glover-Rolle said.

“As a result, it has caused the building to be uncomfortable in terms of temperature and, of course, now we’re dealing with a roofing issue that has now exposed the building to the elements. In all of that, our employees were working on abbreviated shifts. They were still getting the job done. They were still showing up to work.

“But it is at a stage where it’s no longer comfortable for our employees. We appreciate that. We appreciate the work that they’ve put in today. Today they were back to work on abbreviated shift.”