{"id":331066,"date":"2024-10-17T11:05:26","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T15:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=331066"},"modified":"2024-10-17T11:07:12","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T15:07:12","slug":"erc-releases-press-statement-declaring-solidarity-with-truckerscondemn-govt-police-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/governance\/erc-releases-press-statement-declaring-solidarity-with-truckerscondemn-govt-police-response\/","title":{"rendered":"ERC releases press statement declaring solidarity with truckers; condemns police response"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Police in riot gear near the scene of protest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Following yesterday’s events where members of the Tipper Truckers Association staged a protest in the Canefield area, The Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) has issued a strong denunciation of the actions taken by the Dominica Police Force, which operates under the leadership of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and Minister for National Security and Immigration Rayburn Blackmore in response to the protest. The coalition criticized the police for their unprovoked and indiscriminate deployment of tear gas against truck drivers who were peacefully protesting for their right to work. The drivers were reportedly advocating for equitable access to the substantial funds allocated to Chinese contractors for the construction of the international airport in Wesley, as well as other public sector investment initiatives occurring on the island.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ERC highlighted that Dominican truckers have been systematically overlooked and denied job opportunities on these significant projects, particularly the airport construction. In contrast, Chinese contractors have been permitted to import their own trucks, equipment, and labor, despite the availability of local resources and manpower. The total estimated cost of these projects is around two billion dollars, with a staggering ninety percent of that amount expected to be sent abroad, according to the ERC, which could severely impact the local economy. The organization has highlighted that this situation raises concerns about the lack of contributions to the Dominica Social Security system, which is essential for supporting local workers as they reach retirement age.<\/p>\n

The statement goes on to argue that as a result of these circumstances, Dominican truck drivers are facing severe economic hardship, struggling to fulfill their financial responsibilities to their families and creditors. Despite their attempts to communicate their grievances to the government, their concerns have gone unaddressed. Consequently, the truck drivers felt compelled to exercise their constitutional right to protest, hoping to elicit a positive response from the government regarding their situation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

“But lo and behold, the dictatorial regime of Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit has unleashed a barrage of teargas on the peaceful protesters and the residents of the Canefield Housing Scheme, including a children\u2019s daycare. This brutal response of the Prime Minister, Minister of National Security and the Officers of the Dominica Police Force is totally unacceptable and the ERC is appealing to all sectors of the society, including the churches, trade unions, political parties and regional organizations such as the OECS and CARICOM, to condemn the brutality of the Roosevelt Skerrit Administration and persuade the Government of Dominica to treat its citizens with respect and dignity”, asserted the ERC.<\/p>\n

A resolution between the truckers and the government has been reportedly hashed out as of yesterday evening, with the PM taking to the airwaves to express his approval of<\/a> police conduct in the matter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Following yesterday’s events where members of the Tipper Truckers Association staged a protest in the Canefield area, The Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) has issued a strong denunciation of the actions taken by the Dominica Police Force, which operates under the…","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":331035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[286,235,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-331066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-governance","category-homepage-carousel","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nERC releases press statement declaring solidarity with truckers; 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