Severe concerns have been raised regarding the sudden, summary terminations of public contract workers across several sectors in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
According to detailed reports and discussions on the Star Radio program On the Record, hosted by Senators Carlos James and Keisal Melissa Peters, numerous school bus operators and municipal town board employees have been abruptly let go, with allegations mounting that these positions are being filled by retired, pensionable individuals.
The developments have triggered accusations of political victimization and administrative hypocrisy, particularly given the nation’s ongoing struggles with youth unemployment.
A primary focus of the controversy involves the termination of private school bus operators who provide critical transportation for students in rural areas, including North Windward, North Central Windward, and North Leeward. Under a long-held policy to ensure safe and timely school access, the government contracts local transport owners to bus children to and from school.
On the radio broadcast, the hosts revealed that as many as 13 private bus contractors in the North Windward constituency alone had their contracts terminated just weeks before the scheduled reopening of the school term. Rather than receiving official written notices, the operators were reportedly contacted via telephone and informed that their services were no longer required.
According to the reports, nearly every single school bus operator in North Windward was dismissed, with the sole exception of one contractor who is reportedly a relative of the constituency’s Member of Parliament.
The summary terminations have raised alarm over potential transport shortages for children traveling long distances, such as from Fancy to Georgetown and from Leeward communities into Kingstown.
The hosts noted that contracted drivers frequently went above and beyond their strict contracts, making multiple unpaid trips late into the evening to ensure no children were left stranded.
Furthermore, questions have been raised regarding the credentials of the newly contracted replacements, with reports emerging that some of the newly hired individuals do not currently own transport vehicles.
The wave of sudden dismissals has also heavily impacted local government bodies. Reports on the program confirmed that the entire staff of the Calliaqua town board has been effectively terminated.
In a similar move, the clerk in charge of the Barrouallie town board was reportedly terminated with immediate effect. Notably, this individual was on vacation leave when the decision was made, receiving a notice of immediate dismissal without the opportunity to return to office.
These sweep-clean dismissals have reportedly created a climate of anxiety among town and village council employees across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with many calling into the program to express concern over whether their names are next on an alleged strategic “phased-out” list.
Critics and callers on the program have characterized these moves as a “money grab” by older government loyalists at the expense of vulnerable families and the younger generation. The hosts of On the Record have called for an official investigation and urged the Ministry of Transport and Works and the Ministry of Education to release the full list of newly contracted transport providers to ensure transparency.
As the school year approaches, the public remains watchful of how these sudden administrative shifts will affect rural student transport and community services across the islands.
