Veteran trade unionist Caswell Franklyn expects to see more public servants taking the bold step to run for political office in the future given the recent High Court ruling regarding the unconstitutionality of prohibiting public officers from engaging in active politics.He believes there is a possibility that Parliament could move to restrict specific categories of public servants from running for political office, however.“And that is only sensible because you cannot have a permanent secretary, a commissioner of police, or the people who write speeches for ministers running for political office,” Franklyn noted. “There would have to be some clarification as the law intended from 1966, they just never put it in place,” the former Opposition senator added.Saying he was not surprised by the recent ruling by Justice Westmin James, Franklyn explained that he was also not shocked that teachers Pedro Shepherd and Alwyn Babb who were both charged last year by the Ministry of Public S
By Emmanuel Joseph
Pedro Shepherd is now free to resume duties as a Government-paid teacher. Fellow teacher Alwyn Babb wants Government to clear his name and compensate him for the “conviction”.
They were both charged last year by the Ministry of the Public Service under General Order 3.18:1 for contesting the January 2022 general election and were suspended with half pay.
Shepherd, the
Two public school teachers who were disciplined for contesting the January 19, 2022 general election are anticipating an end to the action against them, with one willing to go to the law courts if he is not vindicated and his salary restored.On the heels of a High Court ruling that the General Order 3.18:1 ban on all public officers actively participating in politics is unconstitutional, Pedro Shepherd and Alwyn Babb say they are hopeful of a favourable resolution to their matters.Furthermore, Babb, a prominent track and field coach who claims his reputation in the sport has been impacted by his disciplinary action, is expecting to be able to resume his duties and recoup the salary he lost out on.Last April, both teachers were sent on half-pay leave for six months for allegedly breaching General Orders 3.18.1 and Paragraph 2 (h) of the Code of Discipline when they ran in the elections on a Democratic Labour Party (DLP) ticket – Babb in St Peter and Shepherd in St Michael South East,
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The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) is upset that its members at Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School are being asked to report for duty in a construction zone.President Rudy Lovell deemed it an “injustice” that would not be tolerated by the union.He was speaking to this paper outside the school gates of the Pine, St Michael institution around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday ahead of a meeting with the teachers. He was accompanied by his second vice president André Holder and executive member Tara Durant.“We are here to meet with the staff. Essentially, we are concerned that the staff has been asked to turn up to work while construction work is still ongoing. We believe that is against the natural justice of health and safety,” he said.Wilkie Cumberbatch was one of three schools which Minister of Education Kay McConney announced on Sunday would have a delayed opening due to ongoing remedial work.