Rubinia Joseph is standing her ground, regardless. The embattled president of the Police Welfare Association continues to maintain she has not and will not hand over to a replacement, despite police commissioner Vernon Francois’ directive. Joseph insists the recent election was flawed. She told The STAR she has written to the governor general to intervene.
Speaking from her home on Thursday while on sick leave, Joseph said she did not recognize Cameron Laure as the association’s new president.
“I am holding on to the fact that the act that governs the association was contravened,” she added, “particularly the section which deals with the formation of branch boards.”
Joseph is also calling out police commissioner Vernon Francois: “The commissioner was quite wrong for getting involved in this matter. I believe he is manipulating the process to suit his own purpose. He had no business asking me to hand over the presidency.”
The outspoken Joseph, who recently had her say during the recent custody suites controversy, has also been demanding improved work conditions for police officers. She recently told The STAR she would not support any pay cut for police officers. Neither was she supportive of plans to reduce the size of the force. She met with members on Tuesday to explain her position. She said questions were raised about the election process and this called for a review before any installation of a new president. Instead, Joseph says “certain factions within the RSLPF have thrown their support behind Cameron Laure.”
Laure for his part says Rubinia Joseph cannot be allowed to continue with her recent actions. He serves as Joseph’s supervisor and worked as vice president alongside her in the association. Laure says the business of the Police Welfare Association continues with a duly elected executive spearheading the organization.
On Thursday, sitting as president of the Police Welfare Association, Cameron Laure headed a conference ahead of a meeting with government on Friday. Afterwards he told the media the membership were of the view that there were cost-cutting avenues open to the government other than a 5% wage cut for police officers.
Cameron Laure was scheduled to attend a meeting on Friday with the prime minister and his cabinet to discuss the state of the economy and other matters of national interest. However, Joseph says this will be an illegitimate meeting and she will continue her fight for legitimacy and transparency within the association, “even if it means seeking a judicial review.”
…. into account what is in the best interest of the country as a whole. It is a position that demands walking a proverbial tightrope so as not to sell out your membership for personal interest yet being mindful of the country’s precarious fiscal position. The COP’s role is to encourage the general membership to play by the rules in dealing with the matter not to dictate in the interest of one side or the other. While I understand his desire to have the matter resolved expeditiously so as not to undermine the force’s mandate he must recognize that democrcy is a messy process.
The one constant I have been observing in all these “fights” for leadership of the public sector unions is a not so subtle attempt by some with clear political motives to subvert the democratic process in these elections. It was so in the case of the CSA and much the same way in the PWA. What is telling is that both of these unions are lead by strong women who would not be pushed around and acquiesce to the dictates of political directorate. Union leadership need not necessarily have a adversarial relationship with the employer nor should the relationship be one that suggests collusion. Ultimately the leadership should be beholden to its members and seek their best interests while taking…
Mr commissioner your directive should be to those trigger happy clowns you got under your command, “stop murdering civilians,stop playing judge,jury and executioner.” and display better interpersonal communication skills. I know you’ll can’t wait for the results of the investigation into the police killings in 2012, but that is one investigation result you’ll and the government can’t keep secret, for as long as U.S aid is withheld from the police force, we all gona know (sum fing wong).
This begs the question that if the police cannot follow their own rules in selecting an executive for their association, how the hell are they ever going to be competent at upholding the nations laws. Secondly the next thing in St.Lucia everybody likes to throw their weight around, what the hell is the police commissioner talking about “i gave her a directive to hand over to the new president.” that is not his place to give those types of directives. See that’s what you get when you have a bunch of arrogant fools that believe they are above the law, a pathetic public display of arrogance and incompetence.
Vernon francois is bad example for young officers you can not just fight down the lady for what she thinks is right