Staff Walks Out of Magistrates’ Court Building Due to Mold Infestation

This afternoon, employees of the Belize City Magistrate’s Court staged a mass walkout from the Coney Drive building. They’ve repeatedly complained to the Chief Magistrate about their poor working conditions. The building is mold-infested, and staff members are falling ill. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with the story.

 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

This afternoon, administrative work at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court came to a standstill as staff members walked out of the building, leaving their posts. For weeks, staff have been voicing their concerns about the poor working conditions. The building is infested with mold, and the lack of proper ventilation has been making people sick.

 

Voice of: Employee, Belize Magistrate’s Court

“We currently have a mold problem and our staff, everybody di complain bout the same issue: headache, migraine, chest pain.  We just decided that we just wah walk out and mek dehn decide weh dehn need fi do because people di get sick and when we noh cohn da work, we short ah staff, everybody haffi di tek up each other work and stuff.  Soh dehn need fi figure it out.”

 

 

 

The ground floor of this concrete building hosts several courtrooms, including the Chief Magistrate’s bench. When we arrived, many staff members were outside under a tent, and the lower courts’ work had been suspended. The ceiling throughout the building is covered in fungus.

 

Isani Cayetano

“Has this been something that has been brought to the attention of those responsible for the building?”

 

Voice of: Employee

“It has. They have said that they’re trying to work on it but nothing so far.  So we just decide as a staff dat we need fi do actions fi mek dehn decide weh dehn wah do now and noh wait til no further action and noh di give us no small solutions.”

 

 

 

To address the issue, the property owner has patched parts of the ceiling with sheetrock, but the fungus keeps growing and spreading indoors. The recurring problem is likely due to condensation.

 

Voice of: Employee, Belize Magistrate’s Court

“Everybody di get sick and nothing noh di get done.  If you know that you di get sick too and you noh di do nothing fi stop it then what?  We cyant do no temporary solution.  We need wah big solution now because da everybody di complain now.  When di little people dehn mi di complain bout it, nothing neva really mi di get now soh everybody di complain now.  So we need fi tek action.

 

Isani Cayetano

“How does this affect the work of the magistracy, though, the lower courts? I know that on a day-to-day basis you have people who come through this building on criminal matters.  Now that you’re all outside of work, how does this create a bottleneck or how does this stop the workflow?”

 

Voice of: Employee

“Well, we da di head.  We open through corona.  We service the public as best as possible.  People cohn pay and we collect government funds and the court haffi open up to criminal matters, civil, traffic.  So if we noh di work then how di people and di public dehn wahn get assisted?  How di government wahn collect dehn funds?”

 

 

 

Mold in damp buildings can cause nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, respiratory infections, and can worsen asthma and allergies. Isani Cayetano for News Five.