The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

PLANS to have a controversial supervisor reinstated at the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation in the coming weeks has been objected to as union representatives push to have the move barred.

Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) President John Pinder yesterday confirmed that he has been given notice by senior staff at Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) that the government agency will look to bring back a supervisor accused of alleged sexual harassment.

It was also alleged that the supervisor leveraged sex for career advancement with women employees and was caught in a sexual act with a woman worker.

As a result of the allegations, the supervisor was then relocated to another government agency to quell concern over the reports, The Tribune was told.

Mr Pinder told The Tribune that he and officials from his union have already started the process to either bar the reinstatement or have it stipulated that the one time supervisor would not be allowed near any woman employees or any employee he had previously managed.

The male employee in question, who has never been charged in court, is proposed for reinstatement in a senior capacity with direct oversight of many of his former employees.

Several of those employees made allegations against the supervisor last year, resulting in his transfer.

When contacted on the matter Monday, Mr Pinder noted that he was “very concerned” by the pending move, insisting that if followed through, BAIC could face irreversible damage to employee morale.

“I have been given notice by the general manager at BAIC, I am not happy about this and I will be looking into this immediately,” Mr Pinder told The Tribune.

“This is a terrible move and I am looking to have it stipulated that he has no contact with staff, especially the women and those men that he managed during that time.

“I don’t subscribe to this notion and this is going to cause a number of issues moving forward. So far today I’ve dealt with issues at the post office and issues at another facility, but this needs immediate attention because this is serious,” he added when contacted shortly after noon Monday.

In April 2015, Mr Pinder revealed that BAIC had launched an internal probe into separate allegations of sexual assault and harassment against two supervisors at the government agency.

In one allegation, a male supervisor sexually assaulted a male employee on work premises - allegedly forcing him into a vehicle and driving him to a secluded area of the compound, it was said.

That incident was referred to police.

Both supervisors in question were placed on administrative leave, Mr Pinder said at the time.

He also said in 2015 that up to 75 per cent of the employees, most of whom were reported to be women, walked off the job in protest against alleged insulting remarks made against them.

Earlier this month, police took eight BAIC employees and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly Dion Smith into custody in connection with alleged theft at the corporation.

However, all were released with no charges being brought in the matter.

Mr Smith, at the time of his arrest, served as executive chairman of BAIC.

The new Free National Movement  government is expected to name a new executive chairman in the coming weeks.