By Calvert Martindale
Dear Sir,
It is with grave concern for the sovereignty of our nation, the pride of our people and the future generations that I am writing this letter to you.
This letter seeks to highlight concerns of Vincentians living and working on Mustique Island. While there are some who have the delusional view that the well being of persons employed by the Mustique Company is paramount on the agenda of those in charge on the island, this is far from reality.
The poor living conditions on the island for the majority of the staff who are housed in Grand Bay on the island, wages that do not, at times, compare to top tier companies with similar roles and that remain in a state of stagnation for years on end. How does your government intend to address these situations, sir?
We have competent, qualified local personnel being overlooked for senior management positions in favour of expats who then come here, reap huge salaries and leave or remain as millionaires in a few years of their tenure. The positions for senior managers are only advertised locally after the managing director and the senior team and/or board have earmarked and brought in an expat to fill the role. I most assuredly remember you stating a local should be a part of the senior management team on the island. How do you justify this, dear sir? There are local managers in the company who are not respected in their roles as they ought to be by senior managers who barely understand the operations they undertake. Local managers who are not even offered half or even a quarter of the benefits that are given to senior managers even though they do all the work in building their teams and propelling the productivity and efficiency that is necessary for growth and continuity coupled with satisfying the homeowners and elite guests that frequent the island. How do you intend to adjust this less than equitable position.
Individuals are dismissed for situations that warrant warnings, while others get off with a slap on the wrist for offenses that warrant termination because they’re “lap dogs” for senior managers. The island seems to have its own sovereignty, even though you are prime minister.
Persons are denied leave and assistance for medical purposes because of the length of employment and on the grounds of ineffective and poor team performance in their absence by senior managers who believe they come here and have ultimate power in our homeland. Threats are made and ultimatums given to persons who question this sort of decision or action by senior managers who are expats with privileges that middle managers should be afforded but are not. These expats are allowed to have their families live and visit the island even during the high season, pandemic season and natural disaster season, while local middle managers are outright denied this right.
I would suggest, kind sir, that you have a chargé d’affaires on the island that overlooks what happens on the island. Someone who sits in on meetings, to ensure the rights of Vincentians in the company and the interest of our nation is safeguarded. If you take a close look at this island, you would recognise that even though colonialism is gone, neo-colonialism is very much at play. The newest addition to the senior management team is one to pay close attention to, his threatening ways and micro management of the people under him will not be stood for by already complaining managers. He has been pushing managers to the point of given them ultimatums as if trying to force them through the door. He lacks empathy even though he presents a facade of concern.
I believe that you are the champion of the poor and disenfranchised in this nation. So please, sir, look closely into the affairs of this island, before it becomes a talking point on international fora and we become a spectacle to the world in a negative way.
If you need to verify the contents of this letter, speak with the staff living on the island who are from the mainland, speak with the house managers, both local and expats, and the middle managers and supervisors. There is unrest brewing on the island, you need to address this ticking time bomb. Forced policies that impede a person’s freedom of speech and constitutional rights push us closer to the edge. I can assure you that persons no longer are looking to be bought for “30 pieces of silver”.
EQUITY & EQUALITY. MAINTAIN OUR SOVEREIGNTY.
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it have local in the mustique company and not looking out for they own job will be in mustique and they will be giving one person alone and say parttime because the person is doing thing for them and the people who can do the work will never get that job some vincentain only have one mind set
As a person who visited Mustique a couple of times in the course of my work whilst I was employed in SVG would whole heartily agree with your correspondent, I don’t think independence actually reached Mustique. I was embarrassed that people of my race would even think to talk to anyone the way the Vincentians were talked to let alone actually talk to them like it.
I’ve been saying that for years. St.Vincent proper is a Volcanic island without the things that tourists like. Now, the Grenadines on the other hand is a tourist paradise. But it doesn’t benefit SVG it benefits foreign millionaires. And those Vincentians who have enough money in the bank don’t care about the rest of the population who live in extreme poverty, as long as they can XXX all day, Eat, and drink strong rum. The leaders are easily bought when they are exposed to luxury above their pay-grade. It is sir James why Ralph is winning all the time but now Ralph turned out to be worse than he. Treating the people like cattle. While all the while calling for reparations when our people continue to live in almost subhumans conditions in places, they fail to see the bigger picture.
The Island of Mustique has always been a private island. Vincentians were not born there, even when the island was run as an estate the workers came to the island daily by boat. The island has been subject to a lease for the longest time, which was newed by the ULP government.
After the government the company is the states biggest employer and people are trained and taught there, some have moved on to other resorts and cruise ship employment.
Whenever there is a tragic happening in SVG they are the first to give money and goods to the state.
We are very lucky to be blessed with such a supportive corporation and group of people.
May I say that you are quite simply a trouble maker, if I did not see your name I would have thought this piece was written by the leader of the Green Party.
Thank you the Mustique Company and all the house owners, may I apologise for this nasty attack on you.
For once, I agree with every word.
The real labour exploitation occurs on the mainland — not the Grenadines, and especially not Mustique — where desperate young women have to sleep with the owner or manager even to get a job interview for a low end job.
If the rest of SVG were like Mustique, SVG would be the richest country in the Caribbean with the happiest and most fulfilled people.
This piece was obviously written by a disgruntled employee who was sacked because of slough and incompetence.