DIRECTOR OF NPT CLEARS THE AIR ON RECENT CORRESPONDENCE TO STAFF
Written by Fuze Team on August 28, 2020
Director of the National Parks Trust, Dr Cassander Titley O’Neal has responded to what she said has been misinformation circulating about the Trust that sends the wrong message.
It was reported that staff at the Trust were given a letter which stated that they will not be paid during the recently announced curfew/silent lockdown.
In her statement today, Dr Titley O Neal said that as a Territory, they have all been in the fight against COVID-19 together from late March to date, and they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
She said that the Trust and the Board recognise the value of its employees and their invaluable contributions to the operations of the Trust, especially in this time of uncertainty and constant change.
The Director in response to the stories in the media said that the imposition of Curfew for 14 days in the first instance and noting that the National Parks is a Statutory Body with a Board of Directors that generates its own finances and is heavily dependent on tourism and the marine industry, said that unfortunately, both sectors, like many areas of the economy, are and continue to be affected by COVID-19.
She said as such, the Trust like many other entities, will have to find creative ways to adjust moving forward.
The director continued further, that as the Trust was not on the approved list to operate during the first 7 days of the curfew and the majority of their employees work outdoors, one of the creative ways in which the Trust suggested to the staff, that would not be able to report physically to their offices or parks was to use their vacation or paid time off to compensate for the fact the Trust could not afford to pay them to stay at home. According to her, in this time of uncertainty, that decision was made by the Trust as a way to keep all the staff employed and the Trust and the Board is and will continue, to be committed to the people of the Territory as they aim to keep all employees employed for as long as possible, while they try to find new streams of revenue.
