Wearing a dust mask and a gloves, this filing clerk searches through old court files at the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

Tired of their deplorable working conditions, the administrative staff at the Montego Bay court-house, is calling on the Government to deliver on its promises of yesteryear.

In an interview following a tour of the facility by Minister of Security Dr. Peter Phillips Wednesday, members of staff said that they felt slighted by the minister who did not seem concerned about their surroundings. "He came to shake hands," said one miffed employee.

According to employees, poor filing capacity and a chronic space problem has forced them to wear dust masks and gloves when checking for old court files, some of which they say date back as far as 1972.

It has got so bad, they say, that one member of staff was told by her doctor to resign after she developed dizzy spells and other maladies. "This has been a problem for years. We have to sometimes search for files when people come for their criminal records, and we have boxes with insects, lizards and rats," commented another.

"We get headaches and those of us that have sinus problems can barely manage. We have shelves of old papers and old traffic tickets that are rotting. Since we cannot use them, why can't we throw them away?"

Minister Phillips visited the Montego Bay RM Court on the invitation of the Cornwall Bar Association. He did a walk-through of the courtrooms, the judge's chambers, the holding cells, the library and the administration department.