Vincentians who worked with regional carrier LIAT (1974) Ltd. before it collapsed in 2020 say that their government is now ignoring their efforts to obtain severance payments.
“We, the former employees of LIAT (1974) Ltd., express our deep dismay and disappointment at the manner in which our severance matter has been handled by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and Finance Minister Camilo Gonsalves,” they said in a statement this week.
Gonsalves was chair of LIAT (1974) Ltd.’s shareholder governments for many years until the airline collapsed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, after years of recurring financial issues.
The workers pointed out that since the airline collapsed in 2020, they have made numerous efforts to engage with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to resolve their outstanding severance payments.
“Despite our consistent attempts through formal letters, phone calls, and requests for meetings, we have yet to receive a satisfactory response or resolution,” the workers said.
They said that in 2023, they shared their situation with the media after seeing other regional governments actively engaging and compensating their affected workers.
“Following this, we were invited to meet with the Prime Minister. Two meetings were held between May and June 2023, during which we were asked to submit a proposal, as the Prime Minister indicated that full severance payments would not be considered. We were further advised that a decision would be provided within 30 days and that no parliamentary approval would be required.”
The workers said that as they convened as a group in good faith and agreed to reduce their severance claims, foregoing holiday pay and other benefits to facilitate a settlement.
“This revised proposal was submitted in 2023, and we continued to follow up diligently through letters, phone calls, and personal visits from August 2023 through 2024.
“In 2025, we sought to engage the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Camilo Gonsalves, and formally submitted a letter requesting a meeting. Despite multiple follow-up calls and visits, the only feedback we have received from the Minister’s office is that there is ‘no update’,” the workers said.
They said that between September and October 2025, they made approximately 15 separate attempts, through visits and written correspondence, in an effort to obtain a response.
“We did everything within our power to avoid going public with this matter, as we were mindful and respectful of the 2025 political season.
“We have made every effort to maintain open and respectful communication with the relevant authorities. However, it is now evident that our concerns are being ignored.”
The former LIAT workers said they are “deeply frustrated, disappointed, and disheartened” by the government’s “continued silence and lack of action on this long-outstanding matter
“If a government chooses to identify itself as a Labour government, then its words and actions must be in harmony with that principle. Like any other workers, we are human beings who inherently possess dignity and pride. It is therefore beyond understanding how such a lack of basic empathy could be so openly displayed.”
The statement said staff members have lost their property due to bank foreclosures and others have had to leave their families and migrate.
“The last five years since the collapse of LIAT (1974) Ltd. have been extremely difficult, particularly for our staff, as we have had to endure not only the loss of our jobs but also the agony of the COVID-19 pandemic, the La Soufriere eruption, and the rising cost of living. It is beyond comprehension how these hardships have not inspired even a measure of empathy. Where is the humanity?” the statement said.
“It is by no means a virtue to treat workers in this manner, and conversely, our silence is not a virtue and must not be mistaken for acceptance. We have shown patience, understanding, and a willingness to negotiate the quantum of our severance. However, our dignity, pride, and humanity are sacred, and they are not, and will never be, subject to negotiation.”
The workers said there is an “urgent need to revisit the way we engage with workers, guided by a renewed sense of human values and the recognition that we are all part of a greater whole.
“There exists an unspoken and inconvenient truth about how we view and treat some workers, a truth that is morally corrosive and that, if left unaddressed, will only deepen the ‘we and them’ culture that continues to erode our collective humanity.”
VOTE THEM OUT!