Secretary Treasurer of the Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAWU) Kertiste Augustus is in staunch opposition of a proposal to declare Sunday as an ordinary working day.
“The workers of Dominica and like-minded institutions must stand in opposition,” he has warned in response to the proposal.
Augustus is using local law to substantiate his view, saying that the rule provides for “one day of rest per week preferably the Sunday.”
“I want to make it fundamentally clear that I shall oppose this intent by whosoever advocates it,” he stressed.
The Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) has proposed that Sunday be recognized as a normal day of work to strengthen productivity here.
Augustus has been arguing that the idea is in conflict with the island’s Holiday Pay Act
What Dominica needs at this time is to open its doors to outside investors. Give incentives for investors to open businesses on the island with stipulations on how many dominicans should be hired in relation to size of each business. St. Lucia has not declared Sunday a regular working day has it? Yet, compare the development of St. Lucia to that of Dominica. It is the backward thinking of this nation that has it the way it is. One more regular working day is not going to change that. It is still the same resources that you will be using. The politicians need to stop brainwashing the people and actually do something for the country. They travel all over the world, so they can see what development really looks like. And please for goodness sake, open some scholarships to the UK rather than Cuba and China. Send your young people to countries where they can experience life in a developed country so they can bring something back to Dominica. And if you do have scholarships to other developed countries, let the citizens know about it – all the citizens, now just your friends!
NO.NO.NO DON,T TOUCH MY SUNDAY FOR IT IS A FAMILY DAY OF LOVE AND REST.
I agree with you. They want to work people like america.. work like horses and lost all sense of family values.
That’s why our country will stay down, down, down!! Who said that YOU will be the one working that Sunday or Part-time shift?????? WOW!!… GET WITH TIME PEOPLE!!!
Remember the old saying, “have your cake an eat it too”? seems that the ultimate wish of the majority of dominicans. Hello, wake up, smell the coffee. It isn’t going to happen. You have to give to get. There are Seventhday Adventist on the island. Saturday is a work day, do they work on saturday? If you claim to be a sunday christian and want the day for worship, then take the day off.
Stop making decisions for individuals, give them the option to decide for themselves. God gave the you the option to make your own decisions, you owe the same to your people.
please times are changing thats why no cruise ship there is nothing to
do on a sunday, companies can higher part time workers, not mandatory for
full time workers to work on sunday u can give choices. all the big cities canada
usa etc etc had sunday shopping. like 12 to 5 evev some banks are open
on sunday now.
TAKE HEED MY PEOPLE!! WE ARE SLOWLY TURNING AWAY FROM OUR GOOD CHRISTIAN VALUES TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT WE THINK IS IN THE INTEREST OF DEVELOPMENT. THERE ARE CALLS TO CHANGE THE LAWS TO DECLARE SUNDAYS (A DAY SET ASIDE FOR PRAISE AND WORSHIP WITH FAMILY & COMMUNITY) TO BE A NORMAL WORKING DAY. THERE ARE ALSO CALLS TO CHANGE THE FAMILY LAWS WHICH MIGHT SOON LEGALIZE SAME SEX MARRIAGES. FAMILY LIFE IS AT GREAT RISK . WE NEED TO BE VERY WARY OF THE SUBTLETY OF THOSE CALLS FOR CHANGE. LET US OPEN OUR EYES, LEARN FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD, AND RECOGNIZE THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THOSE CHANGES ON SOCIETY. WE ARE SLOWLY LOSING RESPECT FOR GOD AND REPLACING HIM WITH OTHER GODS. THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL!
Why is Sunday so special?? It is an ordinary week day, the law is not going to change the number of hours a person must work, which is 40 hours a week.
The law is simply allowing businesses to trade on a sunday and pay ordinary wages, the world is not made up of only Christians and even if the majority here are christians it does not mean that all christians worship on sundays, does it now mr. augustus??
The argument against is very lame!!
Get with the times WAWU, the Hotel Industry has been doing it for years and the others need to come up to work hand it hand with the Hotel Industry.
Sunday should not be made an ordinary working day, because it is not ‘ordinary’
People who wish this to happen should look outside Dominica to realise the affect this has had on other countries. The effect it has on the people as a whole.
If you were to visit the UK on a Sunday you would find it hard to believe that it is a Christian country. As a result of sunday trading numbers of people going to church has fallen drastically.
You are so correct. I see this all the time.
Nobody said u had to work a shift on that day! right??….
What about people who worship on Saturdays. Now the shoe on the other foot all you complaining.
I understand the union”s mentality on this one. However, including Sunday as part of the normal work week, may just what Dominica needs at this time. Moving forward, growing and developing equals changes that some may not be accustomed to.