High court to provide relief to business owners as post office saga continues

Management at the General Post Office in Saint John’s say they have provided a bit of relief to businesses affected by the ongoing closure of the building located on lower High Street.
Attorneys handling the processing of visas, passports and other documents have complained about serious challenges they face in accessing stamps to complete processing applications since work at the General Post Office halted due to protest action by workers over a week ago.
When contacted by OBSERVER media yesterday, postmaster general Algernon Gomes stated that alternate arrangements have been put in place to accommodate some sectors of the business community.
“As of today, we have opened the doors of the High Court and the Woods branch so stamps can be accessed there,” he said.
However, residents accustomed to collecting bills and other packages through the post will continue to be adversely affected for some time, as employees will not resume work until the repairs are completed.
That frustration could not be quelled by Gomes as, according to him, repairs by the Public Works Department (PWD) are ongoing, but an official completion date cannot be given.
“The men are here working on the building. They are working on the roof, and the electrical problems are being addressed as well.
“There is no timeline at the moment, but they are working feverishly to get the problem solved,” the postmaster general said.
Since January 2 more than 200 workers at the General Post Office ceased work as they called on the PWD to stay true to promises made to address the problems affecting their working conditions, and to find a temporary location for staff while the repairs are being carried out.