MONTEGO BAY, St James — Operations at the St James Parish Library in Montego Bay, are back to normal following a silent protest by staff members on Tuesday.

The workers are said to have been disgruntled over a number of issues, including poor working conditions and allegations of the library’s compound being used by students to facilitate sexual activities.

The half-day silent protest, which began shortly after 1 in the afternoon, saw the entrance to the building locked with placards mounted on the grille.

“They (staff) had a silent protest yesterday (Tuesday),” stated Jamaica Library Service Regional Director Marvetta Stewart-Richards, who added, “Everything is back to normal this morning”.

She said, too, that electricity and water, the supply of which were both disrupted due to a fire on the library’s compound last Saturday that damaged an electrical cable and plastic pipe, were restored to the facility before Tuesday afternoon.

In relation to complaints about poor working conditions, Stewart-Richards disclosed that staff were advised on January 13 that all was in place to start repairs to the facility.

“So repairs are slated to commence soon, and staff were aware of that prior to yesterday (Tuesday),” she said.

The regional director also said, in relation to media reports of sexual activity taking place on the compound: “I have never seen persons having sex on the compound. I have never seen that before.”

However, she did state that “the front desk staff probably would have known something, that I can’t answer to”.

— Anthony Lewis