On Thursday, several fired teachers joined the picket line in Kingstown organized by the 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 jobs, teachers with placards chanted, ‘no bait, reinstate’.
According to Oswald Robinson, president of the SVG teachers union, the picket was the first in a series 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”.
“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.
The Union is challenging the Statutory Rule and Order (SR&O) that was published in the Government Gazette in 2021 to operationalize the vaccine mandate following the passage of a bill to amend the Public Health Act.
“First of all, all the submissions made to the court by both sides, our legal team and the government’s team will be in the month of October. These filings are already in process with the authorities. And if there are interlocking issues, both parties will make submissions in October as well.”
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
