‘CBC in a mess’

Worsening industrial relations issues at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation that include “deplorable” working conditions have reached the attention of the Barbados Workers Union’s top brass.

Barbados TODAY obtained a copy of the minutes from a management meeting on Monday that warned of a buildup of mold, infestation of roaches, and other insects as well as air conditioning units that are either not working or have not been serviced.

These were highlighted during a surprise visit from the Labour Department in response to numerous complaints from workers.

The situation is so dire, it triggered a meeting on Monday afternoon that included Chief Executive Officer Sanka Price and BWU General Secretary Senator Toni Moore.

And, if left unaddressed, both employees and managers predict that industrial action will occur “sooner rather than later”.

“The heat in the building and the volume of dust/mold and insects are a source of major discomfort to staff and needs to be addressed urgently,” outlined the report from Nicole St Claire of the Labour Office.

“The falling ceiling in MCTV which is propped up by three pieces of wood needs to be fixed immediately, and chairs in good condition need to be put into Master Control,” the report added.

It then outlined specific areas of the building that needed urgent attention including the MCTV department where vents were said to be “very dirty”, and mold in the ICT department that was attributed to water seepage on ceiling tiles.

Centipedes and roaches were reported in the Q FM studios and the AC units in the newsroom have not been functional for “nearly two years”.

A high volume of exposed wires in the engineering department and dead insects in the vents were also reported. The report also revealed that chairs needed to be replaced, as one staffer fell, but luckily was not seriously injured. Less than a month ago, Barbados TODAY reported that acting chairman Sharon Christie who is reportedly overseas on medical leave had determined that absolutely no corporation funds would be spent without the expressed approval of the board.

The issues resulted in employees, supervisors, and even managers lamenting “unnecessary interference” by the board of management that they claim resulted in late payments for contract workers and the slowdown of operations.

Christie is said to be managing the operations from overseas.

When contacted, Price told Barbados TODAY that he acknowledged the issues and said they were being addressed.

“This building is a mature building and like most mature buildings, the level of maintenance has not been as good as it should have been. There are some challenges that are being dealt with,” he said.

Efforts to reach officials from the BWU were unsuccessful.
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb