In a compelling address to public servants, Prime Minister Dr. the Honorable Godwin Friday paired a call for increased productivity with a firm pledge to overhaul the “terrible” and “demeaning” working conditions currently plaguing government workers.
Speaking at the recent public service Thanksgiving service, Prime Minister Friday urged government employees to rethink the concept of service. Acknowledging the region’s history of slavery, he stressed that public service is not “servitude,” but rather the noble act of helping neighbors and citizens who have a right to expect the best.
Highlighting that the public sector contains some of the “best educated, most talented, hard-working, dedicated people in the country,” he challenged every worker to become “5% better” by arriving on time, actively listening to the public, and executing tasks promptly.
The Prime Minister explicitly linked the efficiency of the public service to the broader economic health of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He noted that greater productivity within government offices is essential for confronting the national debt, funding development projects, and helping to create jobs in the wider economy.
However, Dr. Friday acknowledged that public servants are often asked to perform “miracles” under deeply compromised conditions. He passionately criticized the state of various government facilities, citing a police training facility where renovation plans have stalled since 2016, and warning that asking people to work in “moldy buildings” is a severe health hazard.
“It is demeaning to tell somebody to work out of a closet rather than an office, to tell them to work in the corridors because we don’t have space for you,” the Prime Minister stated. He noted that even his own Ministry of Finance building suffers from conditions that are “far from ideal”.
In a strong commitment to the workforce, Prime Minister Friday promised that his administration would be a partner in improving these environments.
Despite limited government funds, he vowed to find creative solutions to upgrade facilities. “Government don’t have money but money isn’t everything,” Friday declared, adding, “I don’t care what people say. I’m going to do it… For those who are naysayers and want to find fault and pick false everything, watch the result and you will see that we are going to deliver for you as public servants”