High Court Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln today refused to grant the injunctions being sought by three of the country’s major trade unions in relation to the challenge they filed against the national Covid-19 protocols.
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) – which represent thousands of public servants – are seeking to quash the COVID-19 vaccination and testing mandate in the COVID-19 Emergency Measures dated July 29.
The Unions were seeking an injunction preventing the State from implementing the requirement that Government workers show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or produce a negative PCR test result at their own expense.
They were also seeking an interim injunction requiring the State to bear the cost for regular COVID-19 testing for employees of the State until the determination of their application to have the measures set aside.
When the matter initially came up for hearing, the High Court Judge had denied the injunctions and instead asked for further submissions be made.
But when the matter came up for hearing again today, Justice Corbin-Lincoln refused to grant the injunctions.
The hearing of the substantive matter will be held at a later date.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall is listed as the lone respondent in the case, while General Secretary of the GTU, Coretta McDonald; General Secretary of the GTUC, Lincoln Lewis; Vice President of the GPSU, Dawn Gardener; and Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine have filed affidavits in support of the Unions’ case.
The Unions contended that former President David Granger exceeded his authority when he issued the first COVID-19 measures in March 2020. Contending that the measures are an unconstitutional delegation of the President’s powers and infringe Article 111 of the Constitution, the Unions want them to be quashed.
