A decades-old company owned by Deputy Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock, and the two main public sector trade unions have been awarded contracts to clean Argyle International Airport (AIA).
Minister of Airports Terrance Ollivierre told Parliament on Thursday that, following a tender process, the government split janitorial services at AIA into three contracts.
The contracts replace the single airport-wide contract Patriot Co. Ltd. had held since the airport opened.
“Since the airport commenced operation in 2017, which is nine years ago, Patriot Co. Ltd. has provided janitorial services for the airport,” Ollivierre told the house in response to a question tabled by Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves, who was absent from the sitting.
The principals of Patriot Co. Ltd. include Noel Jackson, a former Unity Labour Party candidate, who is an party activist.
Jackson was president of the National Labour Congress (NDC) when it joined with the Windward Islands Farmers Association to form Solidarity in Action Inc.
In 2010, the ULP administration leased the state-owned car park near the Financial Complex in Kingstown and near the former E.T. Joshua Airport.
The Chamber of Industry and Commerce initially developed the car park in Kingstown before the then ULP government terminated the lease and awarded it to Solidarity Inc.
In his question to Parliament, Gonsalves had asked Ollivierre for the names of the entities that have secured the contracts to provide cleaning services at the AIA, including the main terminal building, the cargo terminal, and the civil aviation tower, and the duration and value of the contracts.
Ollivierre said the previous contract covered the entire airport and was valued at $79,253.56.
The tender process took place around May to July 2026 and six companies applied.
“Of the six, two failed because of lack of machinery and personnel. One failed because of the shabby work that they keep doing at the airport, and we — I know — we are all aware of the numerous stories we heard of the toilets and other entities at the airports — … that wasn’t done properly,” Ollivierre said.
The remaining work was divided into three components: the main terminal building, the cargo and garage facilities, and the Civil Aviation Department compound and airfield lighting station.
A contract worth EC$50,000 to clean the main terminal building, AIA Taxi Booth, and Carpark was awarded to Vinci Clean Floor Maintenance Services, Leacock’s company.
For the cargo building and garage facilities, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union was awarded a $15,000 contract.
A contract worth EC$18,000 was awarded to U Clean Cleaning Services, managed by the Public Service Union, for the cleaning of the Civil Aviation Department compound and airfield lighting station.