PM thanks MOE Staff for their Forbearance

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has said that the government is committed to ensuring that its workers have a healthy place of work.

The prime minister’s statement came one day after workers at the administrative buildings of the Ministry of Education singed in for work on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, then went on a picket line because of a problem with mould inside the buildings that was making many of them sick. The Prime Minister thanked the affected workers for their patience while a solution was being sought.

Speaking on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 on NBC radio the Prime Minister admitted that mould is dangerous to the health of individuals, and particularly, to persons who have existing respiratory problems.

He said he had already received a three page report on the matter from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, and it was addressed at Cabinet the previous Wednesday.

The Prime Minister said the mould problem in the building has been ongoing since late 2023, and several unsuccessful attempts were made to secure other buildings to house the affected Ministry of Education workers.

However, over time reports about the problem increased, and the Environmental Health Unit within the Ministry of Health and the Environment, and the Roads, Buildings, and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) were engaged, and both entities submitted reports on the situation.

In addition, BRAGSA did some work on the buildings, but the complaints persisted. He said last year, a private company was contracted to do an assessment of the building, and mould was identified in several offices.

In thanking the workers for their patience, the prime minister assured that there is a solution at hand and that officials in the Ministry of Education are working to have it implemented. Since then, a decision has been taken to move the affected workers to two locations- Arnos Vale and Kingstown.