The Public Services Association (PSA) represented by First Vice President (FVP) Felisha Thomas, has called on the Public Health Inspector IV, Mark Dookeran, at the Insect Vector Control Division, to revisit the rosters under which Health Control Officers stationed at the airport, are asked to work.

Health Control Officers have indicated to PSA that of the three batches of employees, management has failed to rotate batch three employees out of the airport. According to the PSA members, batch one and batch two employees have been rotated after a five-six week period, however, after more than a year, batch three employees have not yet been rotated.

These predominantly permanent workers are now being forced to work according to a shift system because of the extended period of time working at the airport. Workers have been rostered to work: two (6am-2 pm), two (2 pm – 10 pm) and one (10 pm – 6 am) shifts, all whilst having to return to work the following day. This cycle is then repeated. This indicates that following employees’ 10 pm -6 am shift, the day that they come off the shift at 6am is being considered as one of their days off duty.

FVP Thomas stated that a rest day can never be considered a day off and questioned the insanity of such work rosters. She stated that management has failed to issue rosters that allow workers their full two days off. “If an employee comes off work at 6 am, which means they worked the first 6 hours of the day, how then can management establish that as an employee’s day off?” Following a meeting with workers last week, FVP Thomas wrote to Dookeran requesting a meeting with him on July 7, one week from today. Reporter: Melissa Goodman