Public Servants split on CSA response to Reward for Frontliners

Some public servants have taken issue with CSA president Cyprian Montrope’s response to the Prime Minister awarding the nation’s frontliners duty free concessions on vehicles. The Prime Minister explained in his budget speech on Tuesday afternoon that he was concerned during the height of the COVID-19 spread in Saint Lucia, nurses, police and firemen found difficulty boarding some public transportation because of their uniforms.

In May this year, Minister for Health and Wellness, Senator Mary Isaac expressed the concerns about nurses being stigmatised during the pandemic. The Minister told the National Television Network that some bus drivers are refusing to transport nurses because bus drivers fear that the nurses are working in an unsafe environment. The Minister said that government had to provide transportation for nurses at that time.

“I believe this is an opportunity for us to educate our people that these very same nurses are the people we are relying on to take care of us, to take care of our people in Saint Lucia especially during this pandemic,” she asserted. Minister Isaac is also a former CSA President herself.

While many celebrated the Prime Minister’s announcement which would assist frontliners, Montrope has read the Prime Minister’s announcement as “an attack on the members of the CSA, and an attempt by the government to undermine the solidarity of public service workers and their representative bodies.”

But not all Public Servants agree with the stance taken by the CSA president and are worried that the public servants will be seen as selfish and not caring about the risks that frontliners take. “Before Mr Montrope goes out and makes statements from the CSA he should check with the members. Every time you want to be in a war with the Government for everything,” a teacher wrote online.

A fire officer told the STAR: “It’s sad that the CSA would react like this. We know we were not the only ones working but every day we went out we had to deal with the fact that we would maybe treat someone who has COVID. But the CSA has never fought properly for us anyway. This is a good thing and when I have money I want to get my vehicle.”

Another article attributed to a public servant circulating states: “Shame on Cyprian Montrope for Reaction to Frontliners getting duty free vehicles!”

The article reads: “Should the Government single out our front liners for rewards? Of course they should! And as a nation we should celebrate the fact that the Prime Minister has made the decision to reward police, nurses, doctors and fire officers for their hard work amidst COVID-19. I find he could have done much more and I am sure the Prime Minister and the Government plans to do more. Are our frontliners separate from other Civil servants? Yes they are! We saw the stories of nurses and firemen being stigmatized in the transportation sector because they were in their uniforms heading to work everyday to save our lives.

“I am a public servant and I am disappointed that Mr Montrope would respond this way to an announcement that we should embrace.

Are we so selfish that we don’t see that this is necessary for our frontliners? Who have we become as Saint Lucians that once something does not benefit us directly this is how we respond. The CSA took the wrong approach on this one and does not speak for all public servants. We want our frontliners to get all the rewards they deserve. Montrope should think before he speaks and not jump at any chance he sees to criticize the Government. That is not how your represent the members of the CSA.”

The writer goes on to state: “I don’t want our nurses and police to think we in the service are jealous of what they have been given. We are grateful for their work. Yes, there are other people who worked during COVID but they don’t face the same situations as our police, nurses and firemen. Let us celebrate those people who saved our lives and show Saint Lucians the good side of the public service.”

The writer suggests that Mr Montrope needs to work on his negotiation skills. “If Mr Montrope wants he can sit with the Government and have a discussion about other officers receiving rewards for their hard work but lets us not take away from the literal sacrifices of our health and law enforcement people. Yes, they are different than other public servants because they make one mistake and they lose their lives! We are better than this!”