Dear Editor,
I hope yourself and all Antiguans and Babudans are enjoying the Carnival season. However as the working week returns from the festivies all is not well with us staff at the Medical Benefits Scheme.
As the public may be aware by now especially those who does business regularly at the MBS we are all in the one cream Building on Nevis Street squeezed up under one another like packed sardines in that building. This is squarely to the incompetence management for allowing the Brown Customer Service building to get mold.
In a few months it will be a year and you hear little bits and peaces in email to keep the staff silence that they working on a solution in that they plan to move staff that was relocated into the cream building in the Robert’s building on a sweetheart deal to a ABLP donar but more on that later.
How was that Brown building allowed to grow mold and get so bad staff had to relocate. And why was the director of maintenance and the supervisor of maintenance having persons working in that building working knowing that it was danger to the health of staff to the point some staff member had swelling to the eyes and a pregnant staff got sick before she even had the child.
Its alleged the director even said himself the staff fooley because he himself would never work in that building so he knew about it and did not pull of staff as a matter of priority. We the staff are planning to take action very shortly for the above mentioned grievance.
Also there is the issues of increase for full time staff and new uniform which has NOT being full filled in the new bargaining agreement we had since 2 years ago.
In our bargaining agreement with the ATLU we are supposed to get an increase on the pistons paid to us governor staff at the MBS but the Union does not and has not cared about any of the staff and are pushing back negotiations on the premise of hospital responsibilities and the new rental arrangement.
This is total propaganda and has nothing to do with the increase owed to staff since January of this year and the uniforms we have been wearing for years has been worn/tired out and sadly the management have no care in the world about upholding the agreement we had on salary increase or new uniforms for staff.
The increase we are asking for is 14% and on hospital we taking care of is a lying excuse and will not work, the PM gave 14% we want 14% also because you guys can hire new hire new staff and buy BRAND NEW BOX TRUCK from Harney Motors so money is there we ain’t stupid.
Also MBS has been hiring and taking on NEW STAFF and no money there. We the staff arent stupid as the board and management may think. The cleaners and office staff works extremely hard daily in very trying, depressing, and toxic work environment caused by management.
Then there is the issue of the AC Filters not being replaced and lack of water consistently in the MBS Health and conference room. The AC Units on the cream building on Nevis Street the last time the filters have been changed is in 2022. ‘
Now you moved staff from the mole infested brown building to the cream building starting from the Registration Department and where the Customer Service Department is now relocated to right to the top floor where the same heartless management is located now and you mean to tell me you have staff working in that building all day plus Customers inhaling filthy air from the air filters not being changed gor years and you me to tell staff Management staff and the very customers you serve “we care” about you.
This can’t work and will not the tolerated any more. Also just last week Friday and now its become a common theme NO water was available for staff to consume or use in the MBS Health and Conference Building hence staff had was dismissed early by the Human Resources Empress by 1:30 because Big MBS didnt have any running water.
Can you Imagine that? We Care???? Give me a damn break. Every week no water, they ahve people working all morong and said nothing till after 1 last week Friday, its becoming to normal now and this water situation needs to end ASAP especially when we say we care to the health needs of the public. Also please we the staff ask that Management and Board to get the hange AC Filters in the Health and Conference Building changebefore the building begins to grow mold and we take even further action than planned.
Then there is the issue of backpay and the new board on place. Since the last bargaining agreement we the staff were promised back pay in tranches and up to now we have now been paid as promised. We were lied to by the ATLU and years have pass and nothing has been paid to staff. Then there is the issue of the new board where we the staff hear from hush hush this is on the board and that is on the board and the board has been meeting regularly, they buzz themselves in the building and just imagine us staff aside from the Chairman we do not know who is on that board.
When we confront the managers and supervisors about the issue all they tell us is the board secretary has given the names but she has not given permission to release the names but 1 person is missing. Give me a break all the name and faces could be release or even have meeting with staff but because the conference room where they pack people unhealthily like sardines is full to capacity they use that as an opportunity not to meet with staff. We are planning major actions for this out of order actions by the board and management.
Also junior staff who has been working there for 2 and 3 years already has more privileges than staff working at MBS for donkey years mmwhere you have to put your ginger to clock in and out there is a particular staff that when she clocks in and out she use her swipe not her fingers like everyone else. This is the kind of toxic working culture Mangement and Board members of MBS has created.
Finally there is the issue of the rental arrangement of the Robert’s building on Nevis Street. If the public didn’t know now they will know the Board of MBS has approved rental of the Roberts building to the owner (an alleged ABLP Supporter) and the rental cost is 5 m’6 figures a month and the building not even fit for purpose.
The ceiling in the Roberts building is very ridiculously low and AC blow extremely cold so staff with serious health issues will be make to suffer to please a donor. Also the stairs are extremely narrow, so my question to the management is how do you expected staff that moves from Department to Department to go up and down that very narrow stairs and how do plan to move furniture into that Robert’s building to please the donor? Please ensure that the Robert’s building is adequately suitable for staff before moving staff in please!!!
With all the issues menationed above, we the staff at MBS will be planning IMMENT action against the board and management of MBS very shortly so they better get off there high peaches and get to work to solve our grievances because Observer, ABS and ANR will even have more news to report on live from the MBS Scheme.
P.S continue to keep the conference room packed so that no meetings can take place because we have Muti-purpose and other spaces available. Be warned.
Disgusted, Sick & Tired
Senior MBS Staff
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the new mbs board is a JOKE
I just have to laugh. The country running so good.
More whips for you all back. You all na get enough blow yet.
DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER JUST TAKE NOTE OF THE MESSAGE.
Other statutory boards are suffering a similar fate and their staffs are treated like cow dung
is this the SC that the panty-nose PRO was a part of and bought a freshwater boat?
I could not continue to read this poorly written letter as my eyes and brain were being negatively affected. The content (at least three portion that I read) is rather confusing. Is the writer representing the staff?
If so, no one was able to edit this letter? Are these the people in our public offices seeking an increase in what basis?
Perhaps upgrading your knowledge in communication might go a long in negotiations.
I’m assuming this a woman who wrote the letter, simply based on the writing style.
Come on! We need to do better in every way. We now have a university that can accommodate almost everyone via matriculation.
I wish you well on your advocacy for better treatment as you better yourself in the process.
This does not reflect the view of all staffs members. 😲
When you alow people to steal election that’s what you get. I believe Harold was robbed
Rather that recognizing the dire state of the institution we chose to be critical of the writing and its flaws. Irrespective of whether the spelling, sentence structure, and grammar had aligned the letter points to a real dire situation at the MBS.
Kiss @s@ people will see it differently.
Dave Ray you must be a woman to determine writing style
Social Security is worst my mom died over a year now and to date I have no received my survivor’s benefits. Things like this should be given priority!! I hate the way this country is run 😖😭
Gaston Browne i’m 16 years old I want what my mom left for her hard work and contributions to your “scheme” 😪😫
@DAVE…If one of your men comes home and said “My head are hurting me!” would you be preoccupied with his grammar? Then again maybe your preoccupation would be which of the heads.
Who wrote this letter and what position do they hold at mbs? I hope that the backbone of mbs is better educated than this! I couldn’t finish reading it, it gave me a headache!
Perhaps the writer did it so poorly to hide identity.You think that letter writer is stupid.
@Tuna…you beat me to it. My source has confirmed this is exactly what was done.
Why are some people so quick to try and shame others rather than looking at the bigger picture. Small minds recognize small matters. The letter highlights that the staff and cleaners are upset. Could it be that a cleaner wrote the letter, did that maybe ring a bell. There are University graduates who cannot spell or do the work they were employed to do also. Not to mention that government employees are severely underpaid so maybe they are indeed working at the right place. Clearly they just did not read it over.
We understand the issue here that they are trying to put forward and I hope it gets resolved soon. The last thing we need is for our older folks to not get their medication as they have already had to fight for their pension.
The person that wrote this letter is fully dunce. you should’ve taken an English class before you write a letter like this to the public, too many Grammatical errors, and run-on sentences. If you want one uniform gwan a Shouls and buy 4 yards of fabric an mek I damm uniform. I am not sure the motive behind the letter you should’ve gone to your boss and submit your concerns there. I find this letter to be rather malicious.
Lol, bash me all you want. You are all cowards and will never be able to speak up for yourselves. You hide behind pseudonyms. I can take it. Carry on…
You’re not happy? Find another job.
Broadback.
Me nah fraid…🙋🏽♂️
Guess the “writer” is the same person that “coach” Mr. Pringle
Dave Ray you are known to use different names on this site so go scrub your tongue bad breath. Remember this site knows all it’s contributors ,you can change the names as you feel fit but you’re tracked electronically. Try using another source , your IP addresses are registered.
For those who are focused on the grammatical errors, did any of you ever thought that perhaps it was deliberately written that way to hide his/her identity? Had they articulately written it, management may possibly identify who the author is.
Let us take time to look at both sides of the coins instead of immediately jumping to conclusions.
Food for thought.
@Tuna…. Exactly!!! I just posted the same thing.
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