Union head praises SVG vax protest but not attack

Outspoken Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn has praised union-led protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates in St Vincent, saying they should serve as a wake-up call for trade unions here.

However, he made it clear he was opposed to the outbreak of violence in Kingstown that resulted in Vincentian Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves suffering a head injury when a protestor hurled an object at him as he made his way to Parliament on Thursday.

Franklyn, the founder and General Secretary of the Unity Workers’ Union (UWU), condemned the assault that occurred during a demonstration led by two public sector unions and the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) which are all against a legislative change that would require frontline workers to take the COVID-19 vaccine to stay on the job.

Franklyn told Barbados TODAY that he has been closely monitoring the developments in neighbouring St Vincent, and accused Barbados’ trade unions of failing to make their voices heard or take action on the topic of mandatory vaccination or the proposal to make unvaccinated workers pay for regular COVID-19 tests.

He said unions in Barbados appear not to be standing up for workers.

“The unions in St Vincent make the unions in Barbados look like a piece of crap. The unions in St Vincent are standing up for the people who they are representing and the majority of the unions in Barbados fail to do so,” Franklyn said.

“They have already decided that it is going to be mandatory. The only reason it is not mandatory is because the vaccines have not arrived yet and this little pappy show about consultations is a joke and that is why I am not involved. When the vaccines come and the so-called discussions are completed then they would come to that conclusion. They already know what they are heading towards and I challenge them to deny that.”

On the eve of a demonstration by a coalition of local groups against plans to make the vaccine mandatory for some frontline workers here, Franklyn challenged trade unions to step up pressure on the Government to abandon the move.

While saying he was sorry that violence was used during the protest in St Vincent, the UWU leader declared that somebody has to tell politicians to stop and listen to the people they serve.

“We have too many upcoming dictators in the Caribbean…. The people want leaders and not bullies, not dictators,” he said.

Although stressing that he was not suggesting that Prime Minister Mottley be targeted as her Vincentian counterpart was, Franklyn said he hoped what had happened in that country would “reverberate enough to make her come to an understanding”.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb