After careful deliberations and consultation, the Grenada Public Workers‘ Union (GPWU), has made the hard decision to bring to the attention of its members, matters which if left to go unchecked, will continue to further compromise the safety and wellbeing of our workers and by direct implication, extension the general public.
The GPWU has noted and have received numerous reports and concerns from our members, including those directly on the frontlines, about the handling of positive COVID cases and the high risk of exposure to workers within ministries and departments.
For over a period of one week, the GPWU has made repeated efforts to directly bring these various concerns to the authorities and to hold deliberations at the highest levels of administration – the Cabinet Secretary, the Minister of Health and the Chief Medical Officer– to put measures in place for the protection of all. We have had no success.
As a direct stakeholder with a keen willingness to partner with Government in the fight against the COVID 19 disease and the dreaded Delta variant which was announced by health officials on Thursday, August 12, the union has not been accommodated. In the meantime, we have made every effort to calm our workers and soothe their anxieties to keep the service functioning.
At this time however, our responsibility and duty of care to our members does not allow the union to remain silent any longer. We are therefore strongly urging all our members, where you have been exposed to positive COVID 19 cases in the workplace, and where your health and safety has been compromised, to immediately remove yourselves from the work place and return home to isolate and quarantine according to WHO/PAHO and Ministry of Health Grenada guidelines.
We also urge that those of you who have been directly exposed, to please try to make arrangements for private transportation to return home, as a responsible act to protect the public and seeking testing in the coming days.
The GPWU notes the numerous examples set by the private sector and urges the Government of Grenada that where positive COVID cases have been identified, especially in high risk/traffic service areas, that those departments should be temporarily closed and service scaled back. To do otherwise would be to continue to expose the entire country to unnecessary risk.
We encourage our members to remain calm and focused, pay attention to updates and releases from the union as we continue to advocate for your safety.
