Letter-writer begs Fernandez to lend an ear to Transport Board staff’s grievances, including allegations of sexual harassment

A call is being made to Tourism Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez to pay closer attention to operations at the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board, for which he has responsibility, as a female member of staff reportedly is complaining about a number of issues, including sexual harassment.

In a letter signed “Female Transport Board Employee,” it was claimed that, for years, Transport Board workers have been crying out against unbearable victimization and sexual assault by a particular individual.

As a result, the letter claims that an investigation team was put in place, about four weeks, to interview both male and female members of staff.  Additionally, the writer claims, numerous meetings were held with various authority figures.

Notwithstanding these measures, the letter-writer says the alleged offender “was placed right back to his post as if nothing happened.”

Accordingly, the purported employee is asking about the rights of these females – and the males who are also victims – and wondering to whom they can turn now.

The writer says the time has come for employees to be taken seriously, since no woman should ever feel a sense of fear about going to work, not knowing when she will fall target to a sexual predator.

Therefore, Minister Fernandez is urged to lend an ear to the Transport Board workers – since tourism is not his only portfolio – because the corporation is in a serious mess and a clean-up is long overdue.

It has become very hard to work in an organization where the mental health of staff is at risk, the writer adds.  However, in spite of low morale, the employees make it their business to show up to work every day, because it is their means of survival.

In this regard, they are hoping for some sort of positive outcome from the airing of this matter.