Prime Minister Gaston Browne has moved to resolve one of the most disputed issues left over from the COVID-19 pandemic, announcing that public servants who stayed home during the government’s vaccine mandate can now claim the wages they lost.
Browne said public-sector workers who did not comply with the mandatory vaccination policy will be allowed to submit their information to the Permanent Secretary in their respective ministries so payment vouchers can be processed. No timeline for disbursement has been given.
The mandate, introduced in mid-2021 as cases climbed and hospitals faced pressure, required public employees—and some private-sector workers in high-risk roles—to be vaccinated. Those who refused were instructed to remain home and were not paid.
The Prime Minister’s directive marks the first official move to compensate those workers since the policy ended.
