“Labour is Working for All.” That is the ULP’s campaign slogan! But is it a case where “Labour is working for all, but for some more than the others”?
That campaign slogan, “Labour is Working for All” is paradoxical and ironic. It is similar to George Orwell’s statement in Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”. Orwell’s phrase signifies a deeper meaning than its surface interpretation, representing the abandonment of democratic ideals for a corrupt hierarchical society where a ruling class enjoys privileges denied to others.
The ULP’s campaign strategists’ audacity in framing their messaging as “Labour Is Working for All” is questionable yet noteworthy. Employing this phrase after 25 years in government suggests the ULP has accepted that some Vincentians have enjoyed more power and rights than others. This is evident in the treatment of hundreds of public servants dismissed under the government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The disregard for their constitutional rights demonstrates that the ULP is not working for all.
The perpetual victimisation of individuals such as Luzette King, Adriana King, Kenson King, Bigger Biggs and many others cannot be considered labour working for all. The case of Cornelius John, who was shot in the foot by a “mystery shooter” who remains unaccounted for, also exemplifies this. The ongoing police abuse and the mistreatment of women and children while government ministers remain silent are also unacceptable. Michell Andrews died without justice following allegations that she was raped by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. Labour supporters responded with a “rape rally”. Did Labour work for her and her family?
In contrast, the rise of individuals such as Storm Gonsalves to prominence, Camillo Gonsalves’ ascent to leadership within the Unity Labour Party government, and the ability of ministers to travel abroad for medical treatment becuase of inadequate local facilities are indicative of the type of “work” Labour is advocating for.
Furthermore, Mr Cornelius John remains without justice following the alleged actions of Ashelle Morgan and her associates who were alleged to have left him with a gunshot wound in his leg. There are also lucrative government contracts to retirees and directors on boards that drain the country’s resources, while thousands of Vincentians remain unemployed and underemployed. Is this really Labour Working for All?
On a national scale, the general state of the economy contributes to the perception that Labour is not working for all. Billions in national debt; a “hook in the gill” of the nation and its unborn population, unprecedented poverty that continues to leave hundreds of Vincentians barely able to provide a proper meal daily, high youth unemployment that continues to frustrate the lives of such individuals, the inability to arrest the record-breaking crime rates, allegations of electoral fraud, corruption and a failing healthcare system by all indications point to Labour not working for all.
It is concerning that the Labour Party continues to support foreign friends and associates over local investors. For example, Rayneau has benefited from a lucrative deal to operate his quarry in North Leeward. He continues to enjoy the orgasmic results of the 58.8 acres of land taken from dozens of farmers in North Leeward. To remind Labour, these families are yet to be adequately compensated and relocated to the promised new lands. As a result, the families of these farmers continue to feel the pressure of Labour working against them.
This is compounded by concessionary deals for businesses such as Sandals, Black Sands, and Rainforest. These companies continue to outcompete the local businesses and continually destroy the livelihoods of hundreds of Vincentians. Is Labour really working for all? In contrast, if you can find a dozen Vincentian businessmen and women who are not family and/or friends of the ULP, and are receiving the same level of support and benefits, then point them out for all to see whether or not Labour is working for all.
For those reliant on Labour for handouts and gifts, the thousands waiting for road work every six months, and those on poor relief who can work but prefer to receive financial assistance, it may seem that Labour is working for them. However, it is important to consider whether this is the best contribution to the nation. A better approach in efforts to support such groups of people would have been to teach them how to fish, so that they will be able to fish forever and feed themselves and their families. In the words of DJ 20, “get up and get, wuk up a sweat”.
Please consider this perspective before forming an opinion.
Concerned Vincentian,
Troy Prince
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When Ralph Gonsalves first became Prime Minister nearly 25 years ago, our country was ranked as a low income nation.
Today, due to the hard work of the Comrade, our country is ranked as a high middle income nation.
Twenty-five years ago, many of our people were suffering from hunger and malnutrition, exacerbated by backbreaking labour activities.
Today, our main health issue is obesity causing heart disease and diabetes, both of them lifestyle diseases based on consuming expensive unhealthy foods rich in fat and cholesterol, exacerbated by increasingly sedentary work activities.
Poor people in SVG today are better off than their parents and far better off than their grandparents in every material way.
If that isn’t dramatic progress, albeit with a self imposed high public health cost, I don’t know what is.
To the Youth of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
Remember Walter Rodney
Walter Rodney was a towering intellectual, activist, and revolutionary whose legacy remains profoundly influential across the globe, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Black Diaspora. His life, though tragically cut short, powerfully demonstrated what it means to be an “organic intellectual”—a thinker whose work is inextricably linked to the liberation of his people. His most famous book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, was not just an academic text but a tool for empowerment, explaining how historical forces shaped the inequalities we see today.
Rodney’s legacy is defined by his revolutionary praxis—the unity of theory and action. He famously took his scholarship from the university into the streets of Kingston, engaging in “groundings” with Rastafarians, the unemployed, and working-class youth. This practice of sharing knowledge and learning from the people was radical. It made him a target for the establishment, leading to his banning from Jamaica and the subsequent “Rodney Riots” of 1968, a powerful testament to his popular influence and the power of his ideas to mobilise the masses.
His commitment to justice continued in his native Guyana, where he co-founded the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) to challenge an authoritarian government. His assassination in 1980 at the age of 38 was a political murder, widely believed to be orchestrated by the state, cementing his status as a martyr for the cause of justice. His example challenges you, the youth, to see your education not as a path to personal gain alone, but as a tool for understanding and transforming the world around you.
That statement is misleading. When Ralph Gonsalves first became Prime Minister, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was not a “low-income” country according to the World Bank — it was already classed as lower-middle income. The country is now listed as upper-middle income, but that’s only a technical label based on national income averages, not on real wages or living conditions.
In reality, SVG still has one of the lowest average incomes and minimum wages in the Eastern Caribbean, so ordinary people are not experiencing the kind of prosperity that the “high-middle income” label suggests.
So while the classification changed on paper, it doesn’t reflect real improvements in people’s standard of living.
To add to the rest crap you stated;
The claim that poor people in SVG today are materially better off than their parents is misleading. Many families face losses due to theft of shared property by relatives, higher taxes, and increased NIS contributions, which reduce their actual income and living standards. As a result, many are not materially better off than previous generations