. For the past three years, 271 former public servants—teachers, police officers, and other government workers—had been locked in a legal battle against the government. It was a fight that began in 2021 when they were told to either take the COVID-19 vaccine or lose their jobs. Many refused, standing on principle, and were promptly dismissed, losing not only their salaries but also their pensions and gratuities.
In March 2023, Justice Esco L. Henry had delivered what seemed like a victory for them. She ruled that the mandate was unlawful, unconstitutional, and tainted with procedural impropriety. The workers, their families, and their unions celebrated. Justice had been served—or so they thought.
But the government fought back. They appealed the decision, and on February 12, 2025, the Court of Appeal, in a majority ruling led by Justice of Appeal Eddy Ventose, sided with the state. In an instant, what had been a hard-won triumph turned into a devastating loss. The dismissed workers now stood at a crossroads.
Would they accept defeat, or would they press on?
Determined not to let the ruling stand, the SVG Teachers’ Union, the Public Service Union, and the Police Welfare Association convened in an emergency meeting. Their members were resolute—this was not just about the 271 workers. It was about justice, about ensuring that no government could ever strip citizens of their rights so easily again.
On March 3, 2025, around 2:30 p.m., a team of attorneys, carrying the hopes of those 271 men and women, walked into the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeal. They filed the necessary documents, taking the fight to the highest court in the land—His Majesty’s Privy Council.
The battle was not over.
The workers, once cast aside, now stood on the brink of history. Their case would not only determine their fate but set a precedent for labor rights and constitutional freedoms in St. Vincent and the Grenadines