The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net 

THE Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) staged a protest outside ZNS’ headquarters yesterday to criticise General Manager Clint Watson.

BCPOU President Sherry Benjamin said issues with Mr Watson’s leadership included his alleged favouritism, mistreatment of staff, threats of termination, intimidation, unilateral decision-making, and a lack of professionalism.

“This gentleman has the staff at ZNS right now in turmoil,” she claimed. “He picks and chooses who he likes, and if you’re not in his good favour, you’re in trouble. It can’t work like that. The only place it works like that is in the court, the prison, and in the church. It cannot happen here in ZNS.”

She accused Mr Watson of forcing non-shift workers into shift roles, which she claims violates their employment terms.

“He moves people around like chess pieces without proper consultation or regard for their well-being,” she added.

She said ZNS’ staff had been reluctant to speak out due to fear of retaliation.

“Right now, our staff at ZNS are afraid,” she said. “Some of them are afraid to come forward and talk because they fear victimisation or termination. He treats the staff like they are less than human. He disrespects them in meetings, cuts them off, and doesn’t allow them to voice their concerns.”

She claimed Mr Watson fostered a divide among staff based on personal favouritism, leading to arbitrary and unfair treatment of those not in his favour.

“If he does anything to anyone of them, we will be in front of the House of Assembly, and the prime minister of The Bahamas and the Cabinet of the Bahamas would have to tell us why they still have him in the chair,” she said. “We’re not asking them to fire him, you know, put him in one corner, give him something to do. I want them [not to] take bread out of his mouth because he’s got to survive. His family has to survive. But I don’t want him there where he is mistreating the staffers. He doesn’t need to be there.”

Benjamin also raised concerns about non-payment of benefits and delays in staff increments.

She claimed Mr Watson had not honoured the benefits outlined in the industrial agreement and has dismissed these obligations. She said performance-based increments for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 evaluation periods, due by April 15, have not been paid.

“I really wanted Mr Watson to succeed when he took over as the general manager for ZNS, but immediately, when he came in, he had a power problem,” she said. “When Mr Watson sat in a line staff position in ZNS, no one could have done that to him. You couldn’t talk to him that way, because the first thing he’d do is run to the union president. Mr Bernard Evans used to catch hell from him.”

The BCPOU president also criticised the executive board and its chairman, Pricewell Forbes.

“Look at Chairman Pricewell Forbes,” she said. “He’s supposed to be an executive chairman, but he has no control over Watson. It’s almost like they’re scared of him. We’re asking the minister responsible for broadcasting to intervene. This cannot continue.”

Mr Watson could not be reached by phone or text for comment yesterday.