Annual health checks approved for Gov’t Printery workers

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In March more than a dozen employees refused to work in protest over poor working conditions (Photo by Observer’s Shermain Bique-Charles)
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By Shermain Bique-Charles

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Preparations have begun for Government Printery staff to receive a complete health check amid concerns that they may have been affected by chemical exposure at work.

More than a dozen employees refused to work for several days in early March, in protest over dire working conditions. Chief among their claims was their health which they claimed has been deteriorating over the years.

“Every one of us received phone calls about the medical assessments. Soon we are expected to receive forms and we will proceed to have medical checkups,” said Shop Steward Anthony Antoine.

“It could happen in the next few days. I am happy about that because this has been a concern. A lot of the workers complained about having chest pains, continuous headaches, and dizziness and back pains,” he added.

Staff at the printery are still working half-day shifts to accommodate renovation work started in response to their protest. Upgrades, Antoine said, have been progressing slowly but surely.

“We are still working from 8am to 1pm. A few companies came to do assessments about the building,” he told Observer.

Aside from health worries, staff say their rundown building has exposed electrical wires, a leaking roof and raw sewage running nearby.

They have also been complaining about filthy running water, poor ventilation, and other issues for years.

“Some work has been done and assessments are still being carried out. We are taking it one step at a time. We are seeing some movements so we are working while they are working,” Antoine explained.

The workers had to stage a week of sit-ins to get attention from the government.

The printery, located just off Old Parham Road, provides a key service for the government producing copies of everything from official forms and legal documents to Covid vaccination cards.

It’s not the first time printery staff have taken action over the working conditions they are forced to endure, with rat infestations prompting them to down tools on more than one occasion in recent years.

Neither are they alone. Several government departments have been hit by similar actions over things including inadequate running water and decrepit bathroom facilities. Staff from Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital, the Fiennes Institute elderly care home, and the national prison have been among those to stage protests.

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