Members of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force are expressing growing frustration over the nonpayment of wages for work done during the ICC World Cup, which took place nearly three months ago. According to voice notes obtained by Asberth News Network reportedly from a union represntative within the force, officers have been left in the dark about when they will receive their payment, with no clear communication from the relevant authorities.
In the voice notes, the union representative recounts a conversation with Kishore Shallow, President of the West Indies Cricket Board. “Mr. Shallow told me that the hold-up with the money is due to an ongoing reconciliation between the government and the ICC,” the leader said. “They’re trying to figure out which portion the government is supposed to pay and which portion the ICC is responsible for.”
The union representative expressed disbelief at this explanation, calling for better communication from the authorities. “I believe someone is trying to shift blame here, but I don’t want to make negative comments. I’ve never supported strikes or sick-outs, but what I do believe in is unity. We need to come together, have meetings, and discuss this, because it’s not fair how they’re treating the police with such disrespect.”
The representative further highlighted the lack of information given to the police force. “It’s been almost three months, and we are still waiting for our hard-earned money. Nobody in authority has come to us to explain why. Communication has always been a problem within the organization, and it needs to improve.”
According to the union representative, Mr. Shallow explained that in the initial negotiations, the host countries agreed that their respective governments would be responsible for paying the police, while the ICC would pay the rest of the staff. However, the police force was never informed of this arrangement. “We were told that the ICC would be paying us and at what rate,” the leader explained. “Mr. Shallow said that was not the arrangement—the local governments are responsible for paying us.”
The union rep also mentioned a conversation with head of a local secrurity firm,who is also a retired senior police officer confirming that other Caribbean countries which hosted the ICC World Cup have already paid their police forces. “Yet we have not been paid,” the representative added, voicing the officers’ growing discontent.
One officer told ANN that RSVGPF might have issues to work cricket duties for the international matches slated to take place here in December.
The call for unity and collective action comes amid mounting concerns about how the matter has been handled, with police officers demanding clarity and fairness regarding their payments.
When ANN contacted Shallow for his comments
“Kishore Shallow, President of CWI, told ANN, ‘The host agreement clearly outlines that general security, including the provision of police officers, is the responsibility of the host country. Cricket West Indies (CWI) has already paid for specific components under our remit, such as protection officers. However, general security around the event falls to the government.
I want to clarify that I did not state that police in other countries have been paid — that information may have come from elsewhere. What I can confirm is that the only country from which we’ve received complaints regarding unpaid police officers is St. Vincent and the Grenadines.’“
