Government is looking at the formulation and possible implementation of a generalised policy on pregnancy in State entities. This announcement comes from President David Granger, in response to a question posed to him on this week’s recording of the Public Interest.
The Head of State was asked in the context the recent removal of News Anchor, Natasha Smith, from the anchor’s chair and an earlier case concerning female city constables who were sent off the job because they were both pregnant.
Mr. Granger maintains that pregnancy needs to be recognised and rewarded and that women should not be punished by being sent off their job and out rightly criticised the State Television’s management for taking such action against its anchor.
“We didn’t think that it would have come to this. As far as I’m concerned, NCN was quite out of place, out of order, to have the person removed from the job that she was doing” the Head of State said.
He explained that the recommended policy was disseminated last year for persons in uniforms, however the most recent incident shows that it should be “for anybody in state employ.”
Mr. Granger was also asked about the administration’s next step regarding the Chief Executive Officer at NCN, Lennox Cornette who made the call to remove Ms Smith and to suspend Sport Editor, Jocelle Archibald-Hawke for one month with no pay over comments she would have made on her facebook page.
The President says there has to be the understanding that one’s office is not a platform for anyone to exercise absolute power and that there must be rules.
“We expect in future…that there can be a more reasonable form of administration. I think it inhumane to deprive an employee of a month salary without due process. She hasn’t committed a crime” the President said.
NCN currently has no social media policy but News Room in an invited comment was told by the CEO that the company is currently working on such a policy.
Ms Smith has since been returned to the Anchor’s chair, while Ms. Archibald-Hawke remains on suspension.
