The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE weeks of shortened shifts and chaos in its sorting system, the government still has not provided a timeline for the relocation of staff and operations from the General Post Office, according to Bahamas Public Services Union President John Pinder.

Extending a plea for the government to "come to some resolution," Mr Pinder said plans have been in place since 2015 to have operations relocated from East Hill Street to the Town Centre Mall, but have not been carried out for various reasons.

Mr Pinder told The Tribune he has remained in contact with officials at the post office, receiving daily updates on the situation.

"We've been waiting for some time," he said. "And while we wait, the workers have tried everything they can to keep things running as smoothly as they can. But, I don't know how much longer these small make-shift systems can sustain an operation this big."

Following a recent flood at the General Post Office, officials introduced four-hours shifts for employees.

However, those shifts were further reduced to three hours due to a broken air-conditioning system.

Since then, Mr Pinder himself has called on institutions that depend on the General Post Office to issue important or time sensitive documents to clients, to work directly with the post offices' sub stations to ensure that those important documents are delivered on time.

In addition to this strategy, Mr Pinder has also been working with post office and airport officials to have a group of sorters permanently stationed at the airport, to properly sort international packages and mail as they come in, with the view to have them delivered directly to the sub-stations.

Last year, Mr Pinder threatened industrial action if the Christie administration did not immediately move employees from the "unsanitary" East Hill Street location. At the time, he said his members were forced to work in a mould-infested building with rats and termites and a leaking ceiling.

Mr Pinder maintains that since that time, issues at the facility haven't improved, but have got worse.

The former Christie administration had started efforts to have the main post office relocated to a new building off Tonique Williams Darling Highway by the end of May, however, according to Mr Pinder, the Free National Movement administration stopped those plans and is considering moving the post office to the Town Centre Mall.

The Minnis administration hasn't officially addressed the status of the General Post office since being elected on May 10.