ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A veteran trade unionist is up in arms after an alleged bullying of an employee within the Ministry of Labour at the hands of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry.

General Secretary of Antigua & Barbuda Free Trade Union Stafford Joseph said the employee, who we will refer to as Jane Doe, is desperately seeking the intervention of the Minister of National Security and Labour to deal with the matter.

He said Jane Doe, who was previously employed as a prison officer, was transferred to the Central Board of Health (CBH), before she was sent to work with the labour ministry.

According to Joseph, the female said she has been forced to work in unsatisfactory conditions and is being picked on to the point that she can not do her job effectively.

“She has been ostracized; she has been pushed in a corner and informed that whenever she wants to go to the bathroom she has to seek permission from the head of department when this not done to other employees,” Joseph said in an interview with OBSERVER Media.

Joseph said he advised the very distraught worker to write to the Labour Minister and she did so two months ago, but to no avail.

He said the employee said she was also spoken to by the PS in a very unfavourable manner.

“These allegations are very serious and it’s not being addressed yet. I don’t know why the minister has not addressed them but he should.

When OBSERVER Media contacted Labour Minister Dr Errol Cort, he said the situation is being handled by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sharon Peters, who was recently transferred to the post.

Joseph, who re-iterated his support to worker’s right in the country, said he views this as “managerial gangsterism.”