Police to continue industrial action today

By Elesha George

The executive and about 60 members of the Police Welfare Association will reconvene industrial action this morning, as they await a response from Acting Commissioner of Police, Atlee Rodney.

The law enforcement officers of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (RPFAB) resorted to an unusual form of protest Thursday morning, after being unable to resolve an issue concerning leave for an officer.

The officers remained seated at the Police Recreation Grounds (PRG) until 4 pm yesterday afternoon, as they awaited a response from Rodney for a request regarding leave for one of the welfare officers to represent the association in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

When Rodney failed to show up at an appropriate time, the executive adjourned the day’s protest but promised to return Friday morning to receive in writing and speech, the response of Rodney.
Up until the time that the gathering was dismissed, the acting head said he was making edits to the letter of response that he had intended to personally hand over to the group.

Corporal Marilyn Harris, the acting chair of the Police Welfare Association, told OBSERVER media that they had asked the Commissioner “to sanction for a welfare member to travel to St Vincent to attend a funeral service of another member’s mom who would have passed”, but instead was greeted by opposition the head of the force.

The acting chair claimed that the Acting Commissioner has sought to dismiss the authority of the association and is not allowing them to exercise the powers given to them as the executive of the welfare association.