President of the Public Service Union Elroy Boucher says there was an effort to dissuade public servants from demonstrating on Thursday, 9 September.
On Saturday, 4 September, Union members voted to defy the police order to protest in Kingstown. However, the turnout on Thursday 9 was low-key.
Boucher told News784 that the efforts to keep public servants away from the protest was pretty intense.
“That effort even reached the Executive. I understand that Executive members were called and urged not to participate in the demonstration and service withdrawal, so that would have impacted the turnout.
One has to remember that the nurses by themselves and the rest of the Public Service Union decided to withdraw service and demonstrate”.
Boucher said it was expected that they would be out on the protest line to defend their rights. However, it was a bit disappointing.
“Whatever the methods used, it had an impact, but importantly the persons who came and demonstrated showed that they have the strength, the will and the resolve to stand in defence of their fundamental rights.
Perhaps looking back, and seeing those who came out to protest, others will gain the courage and would be able to overcome the intimidation and the coercion, and stand in defence of their rights”.
Boucher told News784 that the war against the erosion of personal rights continues.
“It is the hope of the Public Service Union, the Teachers Union and other organizations that they will eventually win the war,” Boucher said.
Members of the SVG Public Service Union on Saturday, 4 September 2021, voted ‘yes’ to protest in Kingstown, following an order from the Commissioner of Police, which prohibited them from holding protest action within close proximity to the Parliament.
Last Thursday’s protest saw the arrest of several opposition activists and the deployment of various police force units on the streets of the capital, Kingstown.
