In Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines, fired teachers are picketing again today, Thursday 18 August.
Picketing is being organized by St Vincent and Grenadines Teachers Union in response to the government’s call for teachers fired under the government vaccine mandate in December 2021 to reapply for their jobs.
With placards in hand, teachers sent a clear message to the government last Thursday: ‘no bait, reinstate’. In a press conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves reported that 55 teachers had reapplied for jobs in the education sector.
During the press conference, Gonsalves again urges teachers to ignore the union and reapply.
Oswald Robinson, president of the SVG teachers union, told St Vincent Times that the picket was part of activities the union is organizing to raise public awareness and mobilize solidarity with the workers here in St Vincent, especially the teachers, experienced, dedicated teachers whose fundamental right to conscience was violated by the government of St Vincent.
“More than 200 teachers decided not to take the vaccine, so the government deemed them to have resigned and abandoned their jobs”, Robinson told St Vincent Times
“We are calling on the authorities and soliciting the support of the general public to join us so that when school opens in September, the Government of Saint Vincent Grenadines will reinstate these teachers with all their benefits. This will ensure that the children of the nation can continue to receive quality education and quality teaching”.
Robinson said a trial will be held in late November or early December concerning the court matter.
A trial is scheduled for the end of November and the 4th of December. “We look forward to the trial, and we pray for victory so that when it ends, the teachers will be able to return to work and the government will compensate where necessary”, Robinson said.
