Quarrels within NCC, long after Carnival

Commission maintenance supervisor Marrius Gorking is claiming the organisation and more specifically, his department, is under siege at the hands of one of its commissioners. “This place should not be operating like this,” said an irate Gorking. “I want to know who is in charge! Who is in charge, Mr (Kenny) De Silva or Mr Darian Marcelle, because Marcelle is moving like he is the Chairman and not De Silva,” Gorking said.

According to Gorking, a number of issues are plaguing his department and he is blaming Marcelle.

“Tradesmen are being paid as labourers because they have no certification but yet they are doing tradesmen work.” Gorking is also claiming that a take-it-or-leaveit policy is being applied to these workers.

Another issue that has been festering is a lack of staff for the maintenance department. This according to Gorking stems from a lack of fairness. “A number of persons in the department can do anything they want. Come when they want, leave work when they want and this is causing a shortage in the staff. You ask for six workers but this doesn’t make sense because the workers are called away from their duties to do this man’s bidding.” Gorking said staff who are not in the good graces of certain commissioners are feeling tense and the work environment is less than comfortable. “Just imagine, I was verbally abused by a woman. I wrote a report as the Department Supervisor but nothing ever came out of it,” Gorking said.

But contacted for a response, Marcelle who is a radio talk show host flatly denied all of Gorking’s claims. “I have no direct authority in the National Carnival Commission regarding the daily running of operations. I do policy and not day to day operations. Except for the Carnival season, where I have to expedite work, I am not there for the day to day running of the organisation.

“Furthermore, I don’t have to defend myself against these allegations because I have nothing to defend.” Marcelle said if people would stop ranting and raving and get on with their work, the NCC would be a far better place. “Talk to others. There is a Human Resource Manger and there is also a head for Mr Gorking’s department who is Owen Serrette. Talk to them but this has nothing to do with me,” Marcelle said.

NCC chairman De Silva, when contacted, said he had no knowledge of the claims of victimisation being made by Gorking. De Silva also confirmed that commissioner Marcelle has no in put in day to day operations but deals with policies.