Mayor Francis speaks out on CCC workers

Castries Mayor Peterson Francis spoke about the staff of the Castries Constituency Council (CCC) and the Castries Market vendors this week.

He spoke on Caribbean Hot FM Radio, where he was a guest on its usual Thursday night show, hosted by Sam 'Juke Bois' Flood.

This is not the first time the Castries mayor has criticized both the staff of the CCC and market vendors on local media.

Francis said, “You know the workers of the council if they give you a whole hour to eight hours of work, they give you a lot. If they have to get pay on Friday, since Friday morning they will not work, they will be looking for their pay. They come to work when they want and how they want."

His remarks prompted a staff of the CCC to call the program in a bid to defend his actions.

Turning his onset to the Castries Market vendors, who are now selling in a much-improved provision market, he said, “Right now you have people who want to leave the market and go back and sell on the road. There are people who have stalls, they leave their stalls empty and go and sell on the road.”

“That is a headache,” Francis added.

According to Francis, this is a country God loves because we do everything to look for trouble for the country.

He said some people are describing themselves as “always” meaning poor or underprivileged as an excuse for doing certain things that are not right and expect to be tolerated.

Over the years, the relationship between the CCC and the Castries market vendors has been weakened, prompting the vendors to take protest action earlier this year.

When questioned by the host of the show on unhygienic and unsafe practices in the city as it relates to the manner fish and meat are sold, Francis said there are people who are paid to take care of that problem.

“It seems I have to do everything. I am a health inspector, I am the police, I am everything,” he said.

Francis said since assuming the position of Mayor of Castries almost four years ago, he has vastly improved the condition under which the market vendors ply their trade and has made the city a much more beautiful and a healthier place.