Government has a responsibility to ensure that buildings are properly maintained.
So said Akanni McDowall, president of the National Union of Public Workers, which represents the majority of staff employed at the Supreme Court Complex.
McDowall said a suitable maintenance plan must be instituted at all Government offices.
“The Safety And Health At Work Act provides for a health and safety committee. The problem is that those committees have not been functioning,” he said.
Asked about the contents of the environmental report of 2015 which recommended continuous maintenance of the judicial centre, McDowall said the union only received the report two days ago.
He added that they were also awaiting the 2018 assessment report following the scientific investigation of the complex by scientists at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
In terms of plans to relocate the operations of the court and registry to the new Cane Garden Municipal Court in St Thomas and the Clico Corporate Centre on Walrond Street, The City, McDowall said the union would do walk-throughs at both locations, but would also need “some kind of report that verifies that these buildings are safe”. (MB)
