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Jun 24, 2019 News
The Board of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has initiated steps to immediately tackle the issue of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, CJIA said in a statement released to the press yesterday.
The airport related that the decision was taken at a meeting held last Friday.
“The interventions reflect the board’s deep concern about the allegations of sexual misconduct recently published in the news media.
The CJIA board condemns any behaviour which creates an unsafe environment for staff, concessionaires, contractors, suppliers and passengers using CJIA. The board is fully committed to ensuring that the CJIA is a safe workplace for all, especially women and other vulnerable social groups.”
CJIA’s action follows reports of sexual assault committed on a woman, who works with a duty free concessionaire at the airport.
The woman had claimed in July last year, that she was kissed twice and held without her consent while she visited the man’s office to seek assistance with an issue (to help remove the wheel clamps on her employer’s vehicle).
The vehicle had been left in the airport’s parking lot.
She claimed she knew the senior official and had a respectful relationship with him.
However, on the day in question, while she was preparing to leave his airport office, he allegedly left his desk and kissed her suddenly.
She said that she was left in a shocked state, she attempted to leave, but he allegedly blocked the door and kissed her a second time, a little longer.
She left the office and threw up several times that day. Another victim of CJIA sexual assault has since come forward.
In light of the recent incident, CJIA had announced that a senior manager accused of sexual misconduct has gone on leave amid a police investigation.
In the statement issued yesterday, CJIA said that steps are being taken to strengthen the existing protocols.
The release added that “the board has called for an immediate review of all policies, protocols, regulations and practices that govern conduct and engagements in the workplace, and has taken steps to hire external consultants and specialists to conduct the reviews. In addition, training will be provided for all persons who work at the airport including staff, at all levels, and persons working at the airport on behalf of other agencies, and companies.”
The airport added the board wishes to assure the public that all allegations of improper conduct will be taken seriously and there will be prompt investigations. The board will ensure that there is follow through on any investigations that are conducted, and any allegation that is found to be credible will result in the immediate appropriate action.
“The CJIA board expects to have the external human resource management and gender affairs consultants in place by the end of this month.”
Meanwhile, the Guyana Public Service Union has issued a statement calling for the complaint of sexual harassment to be investigated by the higher authorities.
“If the harassment is from higher authority then who are you going to complain to and what guarantee would the worker have in the same environment that it would not escalate, or that he/she may have to leave the job because nobody wants to lay their finger on the boss or senior officers. Cover ups do happen.
Since this is a very serious matter a police report has to be made for them to investigate and if necessary prosecute,” the GPSU stated.
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