The Tribune

By CELESTE NIXON

Tribune Staff Reporter

cnixon@tribunemedia.net

AMID the growing tension over staff changes alleged to be politically motivated, the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas had more trouble on their hands yesterday when sales staff staged a sick-out, The Tribune understands.

Sources within ZNS claimed the entire department called in sick yesterday morning.

It is not known if the action is connected to claims of victimisation in the news room, but it occurred on the same day the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) was scheduled to meet with ZNS executives to discuss the recent position changes under the company’s restructuring exercise.

BCPOU president Bernard Evans said he did meet with ZNS yesterday morning and “they were getting somewhere.”

He said talks with ZNS are continuing and will resume today.

As the changes within ZNS’s newsroom officially took effect this week, several union executives were said to be agitating for action to be taken over the recent restructuring.

Inside sources say several senior officials under Mr Evans plan to demand that action be taken according to union rules.

It is claimed that the staff changes, which are a part of the company’s restructuring exercise, were politically motivated and amounted to “victimisation.”

While not addressing claims of victimisation earlier this month, executive chairman Rev Dr William Thompson said that ZNS’s restructuring was designed to make its television programming more appealing to the public and regain the viewing audience it had lost over recent years.

As for the shifting of newsroom personnel, Rev Thompson suggested ZNS was attempting to bring fresh faces to the fore to enhance its nightly news product.

“In order to bring a fresh focus to news, several staff adjustments will be made, including new hires to replace those persons reassigned to television production and programming,” he said.

But, The Tribune understands that far from being fresh faces, several of the new team members are actually former employees who applied for and accepted severance packages in 2010.

They are said to be returning at their old salary levels.

And, a number of new senior staff are said to be PLP supporters or former party operatives.

Meanwhile, there has been no indication of how ZNS’s costs will increase as a result of the move.

Broadcasting Corporation deputy general manager at Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs could not be reached for comment up to press time last night.