The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

THE president and members of the Bahamas Communication and Public Officers Union are calling for the immediate resignation of the general manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas.

The union has alleged bullying, threats and a lack of empathy at BCB after COVID-19 exposure at the public broadcaster.

Standing outside of the gates of the BCB, located at Rusty Bethel Drive off Collins Ave, the union expressed a lack of confidence in the BCB’s general manager, Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs, saying she has failed her staff.

“The reason we have gone to the press is because of the heartlessness of management at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas,” BCPOU leader Dino Rolle said. “The union is simply asking for the resignation of one Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs because she has failed her employees.

“After making a number of sacrifices, our members, who are owed outstanding amounts of money, have now to hear, because they have refused to go back into an unsanitised building where they were exposed (to COVID-19), management is trying to bully them back on the job.

“My members insisted they were concerned about their own health and safety. . .management has ratcheted up their bullying tactics by threatening the jobs of my members; threatening to downsize the corporation because they can’t have their way and continue to expose my members. I think that is unconscionable. It shows that the general manager lacks empathy for her staff.”

Staff at the BCB first received a memo on Saturday, August 15, telling them the government broadcaster was closed until Monday, August 17 due to a staff member contracting the COVID-19 virus. The memo instructed staff to return to work on August 17. The building opened on Monday and then staff received a second memo on Tuesday, August 18, telling them that the company would be closed again due to a second staff member contracting the virus. Monday’s memo also said that management and the board of directors were determining how to restructure the company and that restructuring might include downsizing.

Mr Rolle said employee fears have been exacerbated by management’s alleged failure to ensure tests were done on staff who were exposed to those who contracted the virus. The first employee who tested positive is a sports reporter. It is unknown who the second employee is, but it is said to be someone from the News Department.

“My members are concerned about their health, the health of their families and refuse to return on property until full sanitisation measures are taken and persons exposed are isolated and ordered to stay away from the workplace,” Mr Rolle said. “Despite the exposure of the BCB staff, Ms Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs insisted that BCB employees prepare written statements explaining why they were unable to return to work.

“Repeatedly, after the government issued its return to work guidelines and indicated in the guidelines about the employer’s responsibility to the employees as it relates to the Health and Safety Act providing them basic personal protective equipment, the management at this Broadcasting Corporation has refused to do so. Even as recently as August 10th the BCPOU sent a communication to management that they have yet to respond to. And, now we are where we are having two persons who have contracted the COVID-19 one of whom has done so because of the first case.”

Ms Deveaux-Isaacs did not respond to calls or messages from The Tribune seeking comment.

However, BCB executive chairman, Frederik Gottlieb released a statement saying he and the BCB board of directors are satisfied that the general manager and executive team immediately applied all necessary COVID-19 protocols as outlined by the Ministry of Health and the Department of Environmental Health Services.

“The board fully supported these actions,” his statement said. “The relevant areas affected were cleaned and sanitised immediately after the first positive test and thereafter, the entire building was sanitised and cleaned.

“Both union presidents were notified during every step of the process as well as being invited to attend during the cleaning and sanitization by the Department of Environmental Health Services.

“The board and executive management are deeply concerned at all times for the health and safety of all staff members and will continue to follow the advice and protocols of the Ministry of Health and Department of Environmental Health Service as the pandemic is navigated,” he said.

The staff exposure has affected ZNS’ TV news programming.