FOOD vendors in Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, have claimed “oppression” after being ordered to close a week before Remembrance Day on November 10.

However, the Association of Local Culinary Ambassadors (ALCA), which represents around 62 vendors, said they would not be moving because the financial losses would be “too great”.

The vendors were notified on Oct. 22 by the Department of Agriculture that they must vacate the space to host celebrations in Savannah on Memorial Day.

ALCA president Michael Williams told the Express yesterday the request was unprecedented and “illogical” because Remembrance Day activities “start early and finish by afternoon”.

He said vendors usually moved out of the food court area for the Independence Day celebrations, which last more than a week.

“We’ve never had a problem with that because the area is needed for Independence Day. We’ve always gone by that,” Williams said.

He added, “There are no activities that week before Memorial Day; there is no reason to move.”

He said the vendors will not comply this time as they “have always done” because they believe the ministry’s order is unreasonable and unjustified.

ALCA also took issue with the ministry’s “lack of respect,” Williams said.

“They didn’t call or try to talk to us,” Williams said.

He said Memorial Day usually had a ceremony in the morning, with vendors used to clear the area the night before and return in the afternoon.

“The night before, we always clean and clear the area,” Williams said.

“There was never any problem with that. We also pay people to maintain the area, including the public toilet.”

Williams said moving costs money, and some vendors pay as much as $1,600 to move their food trailers and bring them back.

“A week before the ceremony, they don’t do anything, but we should shut down. We should stop plying our trade. We shouldn’t be eating for a week,” Williams said, adding that denying vendors rights is not the right way to honor war veterans on Memorial Day.

Williams said the food court is traditionally relocated for the carnival season and commended the National Carnival Commission (NCC) for “always being respectful and consulting with us”.

Queen’s Park Savannah is managed by the Horticultural Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture. Attempts to respond from the division as well as Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein were unsuccessful.

No work, no pay

Williams and vendors who joined the Express in Savannah yesterday said that when they don’t sell, they can’t pay their employees.

Nearly 200 people have found work in Savannah’s popular food court scene, which offers a wide range of cuisine, but mostly local and Caribbean dishes.

Vendor Andrew Bute said it was very stressful to be told “suddenly” to close for a week and criticized the ministry for “being ad hoc with people’s livelihoods”.

He said vendors will also be stuck with perishable goods, including fresh produce, which are “expensive”.

The ministry said in its letter that “Remembrance Day and Wreath Laying Ceremony 2024 will take place on Sunday 10 November 2024 at Memorial Park, Port of Spain”.

“Major activities will be rehearsals and military parade starting and ending at Queen’s Park Savannah,” the letter added.

It went on to advise sellers that in order to facilitate these activities, members were required to “cease all sales from midnight on Sunday 3 November 2024 until 4pm on Sunday 10 November”.

The ministry ordered that vendors “remove all vehicles, tents, stalls and other articles parked and stored along the paved path and grass leading from the gated entrance to the Queen’s Park Savannah opposite Memorial Park to the eastern entrance of Grandstand. “.

ALCA was also told that items removed from the food court area “must not be moved to unauthorized grass areas in the Queen’s Park Savannah”.

The ministry said its request was “in accordance with the terms contained in the Memorandum of Understanding” between the then Ministry of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs and the FTAA, dated January 10, 2012.

Violation of rights

Williams said the FTAA was a registered and legal entity and had a binding agreement with the ministry.

“It’s a violation of our rights,” he said.

Sherry-Ann Joseph said the food court has only become more popular in the past few years, including among tourists.

“Sometimes we get busloads of tourists coming here,” Joseph said.

She said most vendors were open for business “every day” and the area served as an important and “safe” recreation space.

“We have people who come here for their business meetings,” Joseph said.

She was among the vendors who cited transportation costs to get in and out of the food court and said it’s stressful when they can’t pay their employees.