Marigot crab backs dismissal case still unresolved

It's now almost one year since Vescourt Jones was fired from his job as security officer at the Dominica Air & Seaport Authority (DASPA).

The Opposition United Workers Party demonstrated. Its political leader, Lennox Linton, wowed to fight to get Jones his job back. But Jones is still unemployed.

In 2014 in the heat of the general election campaign, DASPA fired Jones because he allowed Linton to dispose of crab backs that he intended to travel with but did not have the required permit.

So what has happened to the case?

According to Thomas Letang, the General Secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) the union representing DASPA employees, Jones had indicated to him that he would be handling the issue with his lawyer.

"We have explained to him the advantages and disadvantages of using the union but he insisted that he wanted his lawyer to deal with the matter on his behalf," Letang said.

He added that DPSU wrote to Jones who confirmed that he did not want the union to be part of the matter.

Letang also stated that the DPSU wrote to the Minister responsible about the issue and had even gone to a meeting when the parties met at "conciliation."

"When we arrived at the meeting, we were told that it was over and Jones had already left with his lawyer. We don't want it to be said that we abandoned him," Letang said. "Presently, I have no idea where the matter is and what is the latest position."

Linton, the parliamentary representative for Marigot, where Jones resides, was also unable to shed much on the matter either.

"I am not sure of the conciliation. It is just not a nice situation of Veci since the matter is not being resolved," Linton said.

"Eight months now, the man has been unjustly fired from his job and he now can't eat bread and those responsible are not trying to resolve it. I don't know what the latest on it is, but I am disappointed," he said.

In early 2015, Linton and two members of the community delivered a petition to DASPA CEO Benoit Bardouille on behalf of Jones who was fired as a port security officer on December 10, 2014.

The petition, with over 500 signatures, called for Jones to be re-instated to his job.

Linton said then that "This is a clear act of political victimization for doing his job in the most professional and honest way."

Efforts at reaching Vescourt Jones to obtain his comments on the issue were unsuccessful.