Secretary-Treasurer of the Waterfront and Allied Workers’ Union (WAWU), Kertiste Augustus, has expressed his dissatisfaction at the operations of the Ministry of Labour.
Speaking to members of the union on May Day, he remarked that the Ministry is inactive in arranging tribunals and is ineffective in appointing persons.
“Reference is made here to the inaction of the Labour Ministry in the speedy setting up of tribunals to hear and determine matters in dispute declared by the Trade Union movement, the non-appointment of the Deputy Labour Commissioner, and, by extension, the non-appointment of Labour officers to deal with the apparent heavy workload of that Ministry,” he stated.
He is also concerned over the decision of the “Employers’ Federation, in withdrawing one of its representatives on the tribunal panel, thereby causing a backlog of disputes reported to the Ministry for resolution.”
Augustus pointed out that Dominica’s Labour Laws have been neither reviewed nor revised in the past 39 years.
Moreover, he referred to the recent closure of Dominica Coconut Products (DCP), stating that employees were paid less than the required statutory redundancy entitlement.
“The posture of the management of the DCP, in the settlement package, should strengthen the Waterfront and Allied Workers’ Union submission that our administration should revisit the provisions of the redundancy formula, to delete the ceiling provided for in their legislation,” he noted. “The Coconut Products management went beyond the provisions of the law—the law is supposed to be the minimum.”
Colgate-Palmolive, the company that owns Dominica Coconut Products (DCP), announced on November 19, 2015, that it would be shutting down its operation in Dominica.
Nintey-four people lost their jobs.
Also on May Day, WAWU provided financial assistance to six members affected by the passage of Tropical Storm Erika.
Guy, people like you are so weak it is laughable Unions representing people possesses more power than the government, if you all were not simply weak, but actual puppets in disguised, there would be no Skerrit, no labor party screwing up the country, hence you would not be here talking bull about his minister.
Your weapons are the people you, represents the workers has more power than the government; and the way the people should use their power to get what they want is by organizing a general strike!
Call a general strike and shut the damn country down, bring the government down on their knees, force Skerrit and his circus clowns into oblivion!
Running of your mouth talking crap is not the resolve, the resolve is the power of the people vested in the hands of the unions on the island.
All talk, no balls
If you really have the power as a union leader, close down the port. See if you can do that and give some bite to your whimpering. We all waiting for some action!
:?:All these supposed to be mature and so-called educated mature men like Kertiste Augustus who is supposed to know better,remained silent and allow a boy who they were supposed to be standing up to,destroy the island in the name of partisan politics and foolish pride.People like Kertiste may have thought they would be losing something if skerrit is not holding the sit of prime mistake.But to their ego,have allowed skerrit to destroy every institution,even the ones they seems to lead.With my consciousness,i could never allow my self to be represented by a man like Kertiste Augustus.I never thought I’d live to see those who are supposed to be the elders of the island allow the island to such destruction by a boy who has not a clue about governance.SHAME ON YOU KERTISTE AUGUSTUS!!!
I think the time has come now where we have to stop talking and show some action. Dominica can not continue like this!
all trade unions in Dominica stay divided and keep crying. no need for a trade union congress. the leadership of the unions are currying up to the politicians. they the leaders are the ones who gave the movement the death blow.
Please ask your members to be at work on time,and do there work.
@tomtom, that would be”Their Work “?
Will the Unions in Dominica please stand up and effectively represent the people who pay their dues? Every day we are hearing of dissatisfaction and unhappiness with this Government but we have yet to see these thoughts followed by any substantive actions.
Talk is cheap and if is one thing Skerro has, is our money in his pocket, so we are making it easy for him to buy our cheap talk.!!! From since the early years, Unions are synonymous with action and demands. So until WAWU and others, grow a pair, nothing of substance will happen.
Represent How????????/ If the members dont come to meetings affecting them, what effective representation can they give?
Same old, same old, like a stuck record. Everything is upside down, Everthing is insider out. More pay for inaction. #SmH. The country nice BoyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!
What is new Kurtiste? Nobody is happy garcon. More than ten years under Skrit and see what the place has come to! Misere all round, is that the best he can do?
And whose fault is this?
Dominicans had the chance to determine the progress their progress for the next 5 years last election. They overwhelming choose to remain in the stagnant non-progressive state of affairs under the DLP.
The people of St.Kitts, Antigua, and Guyana showed they wanted change by electing a new government. The old government was not meeting their requirements. However Dominicans choose to remain with the old government even when they knew long before the elections that the DLP was not working in the interest of the average citizen.
So do not complain….take you all licks… Zor fe caban la….kouchez su li (you make your bed…lie on it)
I hope next election time you all will be wiser in choosing someone that is more suitable to lead a country.
Wishful thinking! A bit of sewo, a little chicken, aparty, red T-shirts and hats that is all that is needed for most Dominicans to vote DLP again.
It getting worse. Next time I will not be surprised they are voting Skerrit if he gives them free toilet paper. Yes, I really believe that.
I totally agree. Too many cases are being prolonged man, shait.
when public works have similar issues I never hear you come out it support to add pressure on the system to be more fair to the working man!!!!!!!
I don’t hear you in de news raising de issue.
when labour issues are raised in public discourse you and de other unions except for PSU are silent.
Unions appear to be at a loss to command or demand a listening ear from those who govern our daily affairs.
de labour ministry, in recent times, has been was accused of racketeering by de PM himself.
what did you have to say about that and how the issue was swiftly handled by de very one making de accusation?
But where were you?
Should I really take you serious at all????
teach me nuh teacher!!
You hit the nail on the head. Exactly what I was about to write.
Mr. Augustus you need to resign… You have sold out the cause and sold out the masses. You favored your political friends than the small man… Resign and give a young man who hv the fire in his belly to continue or to start the fight. You are a failure… Stop talking and resign
When hard times hit, and de employer has to pay up to one year’s salary to each employee made redundant, Kertiste now wants de employer to pay more? Mista mad or what? Where de employer getting more money from? Kertiste doe seem to understand that is hard things hard why de employer has to make people redundant? De employer already contributing to the redundancy benefits fund at the DSS, you still want de employer to go and fine more money to pay people? You want him to invoke de dead; or go an make a moose; or get a jere in dream or tiff money somewhere? Eh Kertiste! Go an tell that to Erickson and Sogo Fly and Archibold an those guys trying to run a little security and cleaning business.
Who cares? Labour ka twavay!
Unhappy is a nice way to put it. For fifteen years now al we have gotten from DLP is self service to its delegates and close friends.
So I am surprised that its only now you all are \”Unhappy\” with their behavior!
Nothing in Dominica works well. For Dominica to move forward, we first need to understand the idea of “first world” then work to achieve this pursuit. We do not seem to understand where we are going so we cannot get to our destination. In retrospect, this past 15 years of DLP has proven to be unfruitful, with small amounts of infrastructural development ( a school, stadium, roads, housing). When we empower people the this country will leap. Job creation should be at the heart of this DLP regime. When we consider the many millions wasted, one will ask, ” What if those millions were placed in job creation avenues?”
Another point is that Dominicans need to become more politically mature. We support politicians for the mere cause of “blue” or “red”. This must stop. Let us evaluate and examine the choices we’ve made in the past. Have they brought fourth sustainable development to the Country?