Teachers disappointed with adjournment of vaccine mandate appeal case

Disappointed but not discouraged- this is the position expressed by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union (SVGTU), which continues to anxiously anticipate an outcome in their favour despite the recent delay in the vaccine mandate case.

The adjournment of the appeal case reportedly came as a result of one of the judges falling ill. When the hearing was called virtually on February 1, parties were then informed of the postponement.

No date was given for the hearing of the appeal, an issue the SGVTU has noted with some concern.

“I thought that given the serious nature of this case…that a date would have been put forward at least like last time when the adjournment was had,” public relations officer of the SVGTU, Fiona Charles said on the Sunday February, 4, 2024 edition of Teacher Talk.

This country’s government lodged the Appeal after a ruling handed down by High Court Judge, Esco Henry on March 13, 2023, that resulted in a win for public servants who argued that they were treated unfairly bay the government after losing their jobs for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The Public Service Union and the Police Welfare Association joined the SVGTU to challenge the vaccine mandate in court.

SVGTU president, Oswald Robinson said the adjournment was a disappointing development for the dismissed teachers who have had to wait for almost three years for the outcome of the case.

“We were reenergized for the hearing of the case hoping that justice will be served.

When it was pronounced that one of the judges was absent…whatever the reason was for the judge not being there, it was not well received.”

He noted the tremendous financial undertaking that lobbying for the dismissed teachers has been with staging public demonstrations, providing transportation and food.

‘We not blaming anybody…it is three years that people waiting for this case to be heard.”

Robinson said he believes that the union’s position is on the right side of justice and members remain confident of victory.