COURT LEAKS

by HEATHER-LYNN EVANSON

LESS THAN a month into operations at the spanking Barbados Supreme Court Complex, there is urine coming through the ceiling from the floor above, and faeces and water floating on the floor.

Yesterday, a number of Government workers who had been centralised from departments around Bridgetown to the complex on Whitepark Road, St Michael, walked off the job protesting the unsanitary conditions.

The section of the complex that was most affected is home to the Registration Department, the Law Library and the Court Process Office. The marshals are on Ground Zero (the basement), the Registration Department is on the ground floor, while the Law Library is housed on the second floor.

"We have been more than patient," said one woman. "From the time we moved in around October 5 we have had problems. Nobody is listening to us, nobody is entertaining us, no one's come to look at the problem. A whole month is more than enough time."

In addition, another worker said the task of cleaning the mess was being placed on the maids, who were ill-equipped to deal with such a problem.

The staffers complained that they could find no evidence that their situation was being addressed.

Attempts to get a response from Registrar Marva Clarke proved futile.

Her secretary said that she (Clarke) "would call back when it's convenient".

National Union of Public Workers senior industrial relations officer Rosalind Smith and industrial relations officer Caswell Franklyn toured the affected areas.

"This building - bright, new, spanking and pretty, is unfit for human habitation. Sewage is rising from the floor and they are forcing temporary maids to clean it under threat of dismissal or not renewing their contract, rather than bring in industrial cleaners and also fix the problem. This is not good enough," Franklyn said.

Smith told the SATURDAY SUN that this was not the first time workers had complained.

"We are taking it seriously, so we will be putting it in writing to the relevant authorities so that we can have some kind of definitive action to have the matter resolved," she said.

In addition, the staff complained that even though they worked at the complex they were scanned every time they entered the building.

Attorneys also complained about the relentless security searches, with one relating how a security guard told her that because she had a lawyer's gown, that did not mean she was a lawyer.