AN ATTACK on an immigration officer on duty at the Grantley Adams International Airport is the latest incident of work place violence which the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is dealing with.
The immigration worker was reportedly attacked by a customer two weeks ago and is still on sick leave.
This was revealed today when the NUPW held a symposium at its Dalkeith Headquarters on Workplace Violence Awareness in observance of UN Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
NUPW president Walter Maloney, in delivering the welcome remarks, noted that the United States Department of Labour defined workplace violence as violence or the threat of violence against workers.
He said it could occur at or inside the workplace and could range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults, sexual assaults and homicide.
Maloney noted that government workers in particular were expected to deliver quality public services despite the downturn in the economy and a shrinking of budgets.
“If this is not forthcoming then a threat of workplace violence becomes a reality,” he charged as he invited panelists to examine a solution to this problem.
Among the panelists were Natalie Murray, who delivered a trade union perspective; Karen Ring, who spoke on social implications and attorney at law Hal Gollop Q.C. who looked at the sexual harassment draft bill. (MB)
