By Réalité Info, June 10, 2025
One hundred days after Pierre Jean Raymond ANDRÉ took office as general director of the OAVCT, the Union of Employees of OAVCT (Office Assurance de Véhicule Contres Tiers) has broken its silence and issued a blunt warning: the current leadership risks following the same tragic path as that of its predecessors if it gives in to pressure from the 9 presidential advisers, whom it accuses of political manipulation and attempts to take over the institution.
At a press conference held this Thursday, the Secretary General of SE-OAVCT, Jean Roody SAINT JUSTE, pointed to a network of influence capable of making and unmaking leaders, in defiance of the law and the interests of staff:
"These nine presidential advisers, with the complicity of certain political sectors, are known for demanding large sums of money from directors-general. This is how they have forced some to resign, or even to prison."
The example of former leaders like Élie Blaise, according to the union, is living proof of this. The message to the current CEO is clear: don't repeat the same mistakes.
The SE-OAVCT claims to have acted since the first days of the new leadership: a list of demands was submitted a week after Mr. André's installation. This contained warnings about internal dysfunctions, budgetary imbalances, and deteriorating working conditions.
But according to the union, management's response has been virtually nonexistent. Despite exchanges, multiple correspondences, and proposals, no structural measures in favor of employees have been implemented.
"We talk about projects, about modernization, but nothing reaches the workers. They are always the same people forgotten by the system."
The SE-OAVCT is alarmed by unfair and unequal treatment in terms of promotions. Employees with more than 20 or 25 years of service are still in junior positions, while others with much less experience are enjoying rapid advancement.
Specific cases are cited in Pétion-Ville and Charles Summer, where employees with up to 29 years of seniority have never been promoted.
"Public administration cannot operate backwards. Meritocracy is being trampled underfoot."
Furthermore, the union denounces blatant geographical discrimination: provincial employees, for the same position, are often less well paid than those in Port-au-Prince, a situation in total contradiction with the international conventions ratified by Haiti, notably that of the ILO on “equal work, equal pay.”
Management had promised a pay rise in April, social support measures, and infrastructure restoration projects. The SE-OAVCT claims to have seen no concrete evidence of these commitments.
"We are told about 400,000 gourdes for restoration projects, but without transparency, without consultation, without visible results."
At the heart of this union statement is a direct warning to senior management: if it gives in to pressure from presidential advisers, it risks ending up in the same trap as those who preceded it.
"If you use OAVCT funds to further political interests, you will go to jail. The union will never remain silent in the face of injustice."
In a national context marked by instability, corruption, and inequality, the SE-OAVCT positions itself as a countervailing force determined to defend employee rights. Through this tough but structured discourse, it reminds us that public governance must not be left to partisan calculations.
Translated by CHIP editors
June 14, 2025