Fifty five teachers have applied for resumption of work. This is according to Prime Minister Dr. Gonsalves who says this information was brought to his attention during a meeting with officials from the ministry of education.
Prime Minister Gonsalves was at the time speaking at a press conference being held at the cabinet room.
Dr. Gonsalves said he had asked for officials to extend the deadline for applications as he believes there will be more teachers that wish to apply for resumption of work.
“Yesterday I had a meeting with officials in the Ministry of Education, it was reported to me that as of mid-day yesterday—there might have been other applicants—that 55 teachers applied for resumptions of work, some of them have taken the vaccine and come aboard, others are not vaccinated but have applied for employment.”
Prime Minister Gonsalves said that the education ministry is sending up a list of names soon for appointment at various positions, the deadline for applications had been set for Monday August 15th, at 4:15 PM but the Prime Minister said he has asked for this to be extended to Monday.
The Prime Minister appealed to teachers that may be party to a case, challenging the constitutionality of the Government’s vaccination requirement. Assuring them that reapplying for employment will not affect their chances of success in that case.
“Let me say this, if you are a party to the case, or you want to wait until—or the case, where the teachers, public servants, other frontline workers are challenging the constitutionality of the Government’s requirement, and which they didn’t follow and as a result they abandoned their jobs.
Put yourself in a possible win-win position—apply for your job, it is not a trick, so you can still pursue your case. You can still pursue your case, but still apply for your job. Anybody who gives you advice and tells you that if you apply back for your job, it’s some trick or it weakens your case, which you have, tell them that Ralph says that is political advice, that ain’t legal advice,” Gonsalves said.
This invitation for teachers to reapply for employment comes on the heels of an amended regime for frontline workers, whereby the Government approved the employment of unvaccinated persons in specific positions covered under the Statutory Rules and Orders No: 28 of 2021.