Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has welcomed the decision of the Court of Appeal upholding his government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate under which hundreds of public sector workers lost their jobs and accrued benefits in 2021.
He, however, reiterated his appeal for the dismissed workers to return to their jobs, saying that they would not lose any of their accrued benefits, even as he acknowledged that the case might be appealed to the London-based Privy Council.
“I want to reiterate what I’ve been stating all along any public servant, including teacher, nurse, doctor, police officer who has not yet returned to work can still avail themselves of the opportunity to return to work,” he said in a recording published by state media.
“All you have to do is to indicate to the chief personnel officer that you wish to return to work,” Gonsalves said.
“You will be returned to work without any loss of whatever. Your pension rights hitherto would be added to what pension rights you acquire after you have returned to work.”
The prime minister noted that his government did not declare a state of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby taking away fundamental rights and freedoms, “as happened throughout the Caribbean and in other countries in the world at the height of the COVID pandemic.
“We never locked down the country. It would be recalled that we began first by asking persons to wear the mask. There’s some persons who opposed wearing the mask, public servants I’m talking about; opposed testing.
“And when we saw the deepening of this pandemic and a number of persons dying and the number of deaths increasing, and it has become a problem of huge magnitude, in order to save lives, we did something which was nuanced. “
Gonsalves said that his government asked that frontline workers — immigration, port, customs and health workers as well as police officers be vaccinated.
“… because if a police is coming to arrest you, you want to know that they would have taken the vaccine, and very much of the teachers to protect the children.”
He said “almost 100%” of customs officers, port workers, immigration officers, health workers and police officers and “in excess of 95%” of the teachers “took the vaccine as required to save lives, to protect in solidarity, each other and the children and the community”.
The prime minister said that since the lifting of the public health emergency, “the persons who wanted to come back to work, and they were invited to come back to work, large numbers came back, and I’m asking that small group which didn’t come back, please come back.
“Let us be united and put this matter behind us,” he said, adding that he appreciated that the trade unions had said that they would appeal to the London-based Privy Council, the country’s highest court.
“That’s fine, but that will take a long time. You can return to work and continue your case because there are persons who have returned to work, and the case is continuing,” Gonsalves said.
“I want this to be a process of healing. The government, first of all, wanted to ensure that we save lives, and we appealed the case because we felt certain that the judgment of first instance was wrong, and the government wanted to have with crystal clarity what it would be able to do or not do on another occasion, and there will be other occasions, and increasingly so of health pandemics.”
Gonsalves, a lawyer, said he looked forward to reading and studying the judgment carefully and to be advised further by those who have participated in this case on the government side from the very beginning.
“This is not an occasion for any gloating on the part of the government that we have won the appeal. You hear my words, you hear my voice. Is a voice of healing; it’s a voice of reconciliation. It’s a voice of unity,” he said.
You’re a hypocrite Mr PM. People died and lost their homes as a result of your policies. Make no mistakes about it World Boss,you’re a winner..you never were a leader.
What about those who died and those who now suffering from adverse illnesses? Are you going to compensate and pay those who are ill? and are you going to compensate the relatives, especially the children of those who died? What about those who lost their homes, will they get it back? ar yo really believe all the poor black people dotish eh. u hypocrite, who will trust you.
Example of another extension of the ULP power base even as half the country lives in poverty and misery. Killings happening like is nobody business. Small minded Police in charge. People still waiting for GOD to step up to the plate?
Hepocrit u forget is u who did appeal and had this thing going on so long.
Why when d ruling was in d favour of d workers u didn’t say it’s time for healing, let’s unite and move on.
But now u have your eye set on election, so big ah hurdle in front of u. playing mr nice. Wish u luck wid this one. Am serious.
With the Debt/GDP in the billions of US$, we need to look seriously at our dependency on foreign aid and all the World Bank and IMF loans. If we don’t start to do something about our very high unemployment rate and our use of public resources. We will always be under Gonsalves thumb.
De devil is crafty, don’t allow them to destroy your lives again, just imagine a snake taking to you, . your down fall again will be when you have any conversation with it. remember, it was said that there will be other occasions., people take note.