KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has again urged public sector workers dismissed under his government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate to reapply for employment, days after the Attorney General told the court that reinstating the workers will result in two people holding some posts.
Hundreds of public sector workers lost their jobs in December 2021 due to the government’s vaccine mandate, which stated that workers must take a jab or lose their job if they fail to secure a religious or medical exemption.
The workers, sponsored by their unions, sued the government, and the High Court ruled that the mandate was unconstitutional and that the workers never ceased to be employed.
However, the government is appealing the decision and has asked the court to keep the order that the workers be returned to their job, although it has been urging the affected workers to reapply since the middle of last year.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said that of the nation’s 2,300 teachers, about 130 did not take the jab.
“But I want them to know that I love them and value them,” Gonsalves told a rally at Arnos Vale to celebrate his Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) 22nd anniversary in office.
“And as we appeal the judgment of one judge, and as we ask for a stay of execution of that judgment, while the appeal progresses, I want all of them to indicate that they are interested in coming back.
“We want them to come back. We will make the arrangements, and you will not lose your benefits. We said that since July last year, even before July last year. Don’t be stubborn, don’t allow anybody to mislead you. You can come back while the appeal still goes on.”
There were 271 named claimants in the lawsuit brought against the government.
The court has ruled that the workers are entitled to all salaries and benefits they would have received had it not been for the government’s action. Further, the government has to pay the workers damages to deter similar in the future.
Gonsalves told the rally that over 50 teachers who did not initially take the vaccine have returned to work since the mandate was enacted.
“And there are others who are interested in coming back. But some don’t want to come back for reasons of theology. Some don’t want to come back for reasons of politics,” he said.
He said some workers are employed elsewhere and hoped the Court of Appeal would uphold the judgment “so they will double dip.”
“And some of them genuinely feel they have a principle at stake, but I’m reaching out in love and unity to all of them. And I want them to know the government’s position,” Gonsalves said.
His comments came three days after lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, an opposition politician, read an affidavit by Attorney General Grenville Williams in support of the government’s application for a stay of execution of the court order.
In the affidavit, Williams said: “The Chief Personnel Officer advises me, and certainly believed the same to be accurate, that a number of the posts held by the claimants have been filled to satisfy the needs of the Public Service.
“The Director General advised me and verily believed the same to be true that posts would have to be released before they could be filled. Where there are no vacancies for the office, these offices would have to be created by way of special warrants. This would first have to be done to facilitate the payment of unbudgeted salaries for the claimants for March.”
Bacchus-Baptiste noted that in saying this, Williams did not tell the court that the prime minister has been urging workers to reapply and they will return to their jobs with all benefits intact.
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