Protestors say no to efforts to stay execution of court order

Dozens of protestors lined the space at the front of the Financial Complex on Bay Street yesterday as a show of displeasure at the Government’s response to the court ruling on the vaccine mandate case.

The protesters, comprising teachers, nurses, former policemen and politicians, among others, were there to protest the government’s decision to apply for a stay of execution of the order of the High Court which said that the public servants who had been fired under the Public Health (Public Bodies Special Measures) Rules 2021 (SR&O No 28) were illegally dismissed and had never ceased to hold their jobs.

The court order states that the public servants are therefore entitled to all salaries, pensions and other entitlements from the day they ceased to work. They are also entitled to damages and costs, according to the order which was issued on March 13, 2023.

Protestors displaying their placards in Kingstown yesterday.

Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Godwin Friday was among the protestors; he told SEARCHLIGHT he was there in solidarity with the workers in their fight for justice and fairness.

“They (workers) have been opposing the Government’s vaccine mandate, and we as a political party have been supporting them and as a matter of principle, we opposed the vaccine mandate.

“Now the court has ruled vindicating the Opposition and the position of those who took [the government] to court. We are saying that the government must settle the matter,” Dr. Friday stressed.

Since the decision by the High Court, teachers have been seeking direction about their return to the classroom and Dr. Friday said on Monday that the government should now abandon the matter.

“Let this be as far as you take it. The people have suffered too much. Conditions on the ground have changed. Nowadays, people are trying to move on and to live with COVID so to speak, and so dragging this thing on has the appearance of vindictiveness and spite and ego,” he added.

“This has no place in a space where people are in danger of losing their mortgage, and their living standards have been severely affected negatively, and people have emotionally suffered because they don’t understand, they don’t know what the future holds for them.

“Just imagine how it feels in the position of those persons for 15 months waiting, not knowing what’s going to happen and finally you have a judgment and the government has decided they going to drag this one, that Gonsalves decided he’s going to drag this one further,” Dr. Friday queried.

He said when the government appeals, the workers, as taxpayers are the ones who are paying for it.

Protesters making their presence felt on Monday.

“We are paying for the same action they are going to take that is going to cause hardship on the people. I don’t want to be a part of that, so I want to be here to tell the government to put the people back to work. Let them get all their benefits, put them back in the position that the court says…and let’s move on,” Dr. Friday stressed.

Also on the picket line were the president of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union(SVGTU) Oswald Robinson; the president of, the Public Service Union (PSU), Elroy Boucher; Parliamentary Representative for Central Kingstown, St. Clair Leacock; and Parliamentary Representative for East Kingstown, Fitzgerald Bramble.

Robinson said the government is thinking about taking the public purse to appeal against the citizens.

“This is not in the interest of the citizens so we are here standing up for fundamental rights and freedom,” Robinson said, while also noting that more quality teachers are needed in the education system and the right thing to do is to send teachers back to work with their benefits.

“They have their family to look after, they have their financial obligations among other things,” the Teachers Union president said.

The PSU’s Boucher said the government is appealing against people they should be protecting.

“A labour Government, a people- centred Government has come up against over 500 workers-a labour Government, and when that sink in people will realize what type of government this is.

“No other Government in the Caribbean has ever done this,” Boucher said adding that Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the Cabinet should listen to the people.

“You need to let the workers go back to their jobs,” Boucher stressed.

On Monday, some of the placards read, “Government has a heart of stone”; “God governs this country. He has spoken. Humble yourself. No appeal!”; and, “The nation’s money is not yours to spend as you please! Do the right thing stop the appeal”.