With industrial action looming in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves is pleading with nurses and doctors not to make this mistake.
His appeal comes after reports that the Public Service Union issued notification under the Essential Services Act, 14 days’ notice that they will carry out industrial action. This is expected to occur during the period September 7 to 10 in response to the government’s amendment to the Public Health Act.
Nurses and doctors are also expected to withdraw their services during that period.
Gonsalves, speaking on the Face-to Face programme on NBC Radio on Wednesday questioned the intention of the action.
“What is that intended to achieve? That the government is going to change its position. That you will use industrial muscle to defeat right reason and what is in the public interest? That is what you intend to do?
I don’t think that people in the country will consider that to be reasonable.”
Gonsalves is pleading with nurses and doctors not to make this mistake noting that over the past 10 days, the number of nurses at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital has moved from being vaccinated from 25 per cent to 32 per cent. He is positive this number will rise.
The prime minister adds: “Don’t believe in this foolishness that it will humbug you from having children.”
Gonsalves says he was made to understand that people on social media are up in arms over the public service union issue.
He urges people not to verbally abuse them but to persuade and advise them that what they are doing is not right for themselves or the country.
The prime minister also used the platform to make it clear there is no forced vaccination of children in SVG.
“That is absolute rubbish.”
He says the Pfizer vaccine can be taken by persons over the age of 12 and there is no campaign to coerce or force or anything like that.
As of August 24, St Vincent and the Grenadines has dropped to 27 active COVID-19 cases. The total vaccines administered stands at 26,690 with 16,417 people receiving their first dose and 10,273 their second dose.
1 Comment
The prime minister is pleading? Nonsense, if he was concerned about people he would not have made the amendment, however he has his own agenda.
People against them striking? More nonsense. There is support for the action. He is threatening people homes and families, with his statement about going elsewhere to look for work. He is banking on the fact that jobs are scarce and as such they would capitulate and taken the covid-19 jab