Red Cross defends president, working on audits since 2011

THE Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society (TTRCS) board defended itself and president Jill De Bourg against allegations from former employees about a “toxic” work environment and late salaries.

In a press release on November 10, the board reaffirmed its trust in De Bourg, who has served in the role since 2018. It said the society would not tolerate such allegations if they were true and that De Bourg had overseen “significant improvements” at the Port of Spain-based NGO.

“The board of the TTRCS denies these allegations and we take this situation seriously, as the allegations do not represent the values and principles upon which the TTRCS was built,” the statement read. It said it had “full confidence” in De Bourg’s leadership.

The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services (MSDFS) recently paused the TTRCS’s annual subvention, citing long-outstanding financial audits.

TTRCS crisis management co-ordinator Stephan Kishore said in a TTT interview on November 9 that the organisation was close to finalising audits for the last three years, aiming for full compliance by year-end.

However, the board said audits were outstanding from 2011 and inherited from previous leadership.

“We are working assiduously to finalise this to ensure accountability, transparency, and good governance.” It said talks with the ministry were ongoing.

The board said the TTRCS had implemented key organisational changes under De Bourg’s leadership, including updates to its constitution to meet International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) standards, the development of new HR policies, and the initiation of digital transformation efforts. The changes, it said, reflect a dedication to improving both governance and operational efficiency.

Allegations against De Bourg surfaced in mid-October, following reports from former employees who claimed issues such as delayed salary payments, inadequate support from middle management, and overreach into personal time.

De Bourg acknowledged occasional salary delays and contacting staff outside work hours but said such communications were limited to when necessary. The board attributed salary delays to ongoing financial challenges and said employees are always informed of potential delays beforehand.