A leadership contest within the Saint Lucia Civil Service Association is intensifying, as former president Yvonne Edwin mounts a bid to return to the union’s top post, raising concerns about governance, internal cohesion, and adherence to established procedures.
Speaking during a recent interview, Edwin described what she characterized as dysfunction within the organization’s decision-making structures.
“Where I sit on General Council, you had on many occasions, we had General Councils that did not see an agenda in its entirety,” she said. “What you had was back and forth and not back and forth where people just disagree.”
While acknowledging that differing views are a natural part of trade union engagement, Edwin argued that the current environment goes beyond constructive debate.
“In trade unions, in negotiation processes, you do have differences of opinion. What I saw was discord, not an aim to complete an agenda, not an aim to have relevant discussions that bring forth outcomes for the organization. We did not have meaningful discussions,” she stated.
The former president warned that the situation, if left unaddressed, could further undermine the union’s effectiveness.
“This should not be allowed to continue. We need a code of conduct. Even in support of the constitution, we need bylaws, we need procedures, and some of these… are lacking within the operations of CSA,” Edwin said.
She pointed to existing policy frameworks which, in her view, are not being adequately utilized.
“The CSA has documents. There are policies that were developed. I have one of the policies here, a 2005 policy that was written by Victor Poyotte. If you read this document… the needs or what some of the manifestos are indicating, the document says that” she noted, suggesting that long-standing guidance has not been effectively implemented.
A central theme of Edwin’s campaign is her opposition to what she described as “team” or slate-based election strategies.
“I do not believe in the team approach because this is a membership organization,” she asserted. “When you apply for a job, you apply for a job based on a vacancy. You do not come in and say I want this set of people to come in and work in this organization.”
She argued that individual merit should guide the selection of leadership.
“You would apply and you get shortlisted and you get selected. I think it should be the same approach… members should be allowed to vie for the various positions,” Edwin added.
With elections approaching, her remarks signal a widening debate within the union over its governance model and future direction, as members prepare to decide on leadership for the next term.