Vector control workers protest demotion of supervisor

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Staff in the Vector Control Unit at the Central Board of Health (CBH) walked off the job yesterday, protesting the demotion of a co-worker who heads the unit.
Forty-three vector control workers reported for normal duties on Tuesday, then abandoned their posts and proceeded to a meeting at the office of the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) – their bargaining agent – after news broke that Andrea Henry was being demoted.
This is the same supervisor some workers declared over a week ago, was unfit for the job and wrote a letter demanding her immediate removal.
Henry, who has worked at CBH for over 33 years, has been acting in the position of Supervisor of the Vector Control Unit for over a year. She is among seven people who were recommended for promotion by former Chief Health Inspector Lionel Michael.
On Wednesday, Henry was advised by way of a letter that effective immediately she would be reverted to her old position of Environmental Health Aide 1 assigned to a district. She was also asked to report to Senior Health Inspector Julienne Mannix for further instruction.
Henry was also informed that the Ministry of Health did not support the recommendation for her promotion and upgrade.
The letter dated June 25 was signed by Acting Deputy Chief Health Inspector Daryl Spencer.
Henry told our newsroom yesterday that she was sent to vector control to transform behaviour and implement certain structure, which she outlined was lacking. However, her service was not welcomed by a very small minority.
“They had all kind of problems and issues, eventually some of them fell in line. But they have a clique down there who are working together making certain decisions and most of the time the head of CBH is not aware of it.
“We are not pleased with a lot of things taking place within the Vector Control unit. One of the problems down there was that people were using the government equipment and chemicals for their own personal business. They were going to hotels and various places and collecting money and since I came that has stopped,” Henry said.
(More in today’s Daily Observer)

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