President the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union Oswald Robinson continues to blast the government’s vaccination policy which resulted in a number of teachers and other public sector workers losing their jobs and accrued benefits for failing to take a COVID-19 vaccine.
A memo written on February 23rd to the Chief Environmental Health Officer from the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment was made public on Monday of a decision taken to have all permanent sanitation workers who are presently off the job having not taken the COVID-19 vaccine to be allowed to return to work without the vaccine.
Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment St.Clair Prince told SVGTV News Monday that it was an administrative error to have the sanitation workers included on the list of those who were required to get vaccinated as part of the government’s policy and that those who were affected will be compensated.
Commenting on this development the SVGTU president said the vaccination policy was a “wicked act” noting that a number of the nation’s children have been served great injustice by having highly trained and experience teachers taken away from them especially at a time when they should have been helping them prepare for the upcoming CXC exams.
Robinson said the country’s constitution speaks against trampling on people’s rights. He pointed out that while a few teachers who missed the vaccination deadline were allowed back in the classroom after taking the jab, others were sent home without pay and this treatment cannot be acceptable in a democratic society.
Robinson said the government has essentially violated the rights of many Vincentians by implementing the vaccine mandate.
