The National Workers Union is asking the Government of Saint Lucia to rethink a long-standing driver’s licence rule requiring returning nationals to pay fees for the time they lived abroad.
In a letter to the Ministry of Transportation, the union explained the policy does not reflect the realities of many Saint Lucians who travel abroad for valid reasons.
Secretary General Johann M. Harewood said the union’s action is based on “observations and complaints based on interactions with members”.
The NWU says that people who leave Saint Lucia for school, work, medical care, or other important reasons still have to pay driver’s licence fees for the whole time they were away. The union believes many see this as unfair.
In its letter, the union points out that many people go abroad not just for themselves but also to help the country’s economy. The union says that making them pay back fees ignores their contributions and adds to their difficulties.
The union says the current system “places an unnecessary financial burden on hardworking people” and that many affected people are unhappy with it. The union also says that making people pay for times when they were not in the country or using the roads is “viewed by many as punitive in nature”.
The NWU wants the government to adopt a fairer, more understanding approach. It suggests creating a system that accounts for long absences and lets people avoid paying fees for the time they were away.
The union says people should not be penalised for situations beyond their control or for doing what is needed for their well-being and growth. It believes changing the policy would better support the country’s goals of economic resilience and fairness.
The NWU says it will keep working for fair, people-focused policies and will continue to stand up for workers and the public.
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