The Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAWU) has flatly rejected the idea of making Sunday a normal working day in Dominica, saying the island “will never return to slavery.”
General Secretary of the WAWU, Kertiste Augustus told a gathering at the union’s office in Roseau on May Day (Monday) that the union will fight and confront those who want to get rid of Sunday as a public holiday.
He made special reference to the Dominica Employers Federation (DEF), who has been quite vocal on that matter.
He said Mayday was taking place “at the time when the same employer’s federation is seeking to do away with our one day of rest per week by making Sunday a normal working day.”
“They want to revisit the Public Holiday Act or the Holiday Pay Act number 19: 10 to remove from the schedule Sunday as a public holiday.”
Augustus said WAWU will confront the DEF on the matter.
“I want to make it very clear that we at the WAWU will never or shall never return to slavery in Dominica and therefore we will fight, confront the employers federation on every aspect of the their submission,” he said.
The DEF and the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association (DHTA) have both made cases to remove Sunday from the list of public holidays in Dominica.
President of the DHTA, Gregor Nassief, told DNO earlier this year that Sunday should be a normal workday, particularly when cruise ships are in port.
He said this is important since Sundays are working days in other key tourism destinations.
Executive Director of DEF, Achille Joseph, has questioned the signifance of Sunday as a public holiday.
He stated that if the purpose of Sunday as a holiday is to worship, what about those who worship on a Friday or Saturday?
“That sounds like non-religious liberty, like a religious bias,” he told DNO in January.
He said his opinion is made from a business standpoint, not necessarily religious, and is questioning the reasons why a business owner cannot be opened for business on a Sunday.
It has been prophesied, so we are not in the dark. The beast power will seek to change times and laws and will transfer the solemnity from the 7th day to the 1st day. I know I will get a lot of thumbs down because people prefer the traditions of men to the word of God. The end is near!
I am supporting sunday as a work day hundred percent.sunday use to be a work day in days of old,and saturday is the rest day of the lord Jesus christ, until the catholic church change it to suit their life style.its a good fight but for the wrong reason.again the reason this around is not the keep the sabbath day holy but for money making reason.I bet the people who is fighting for that change is not going to close their business place on saturday and go to church. god is coming for his world soon. exodus 20. 8-11 thats concerning keeping the sabbath day holy with rest and then you can work on sunday because its the first day of the week and a working day. why are you resting on the first day of the week. why are you not going to work to take care of your responsibilities on the first day of week and sometimes even find yourself drunk on that day.mr Augustus stop fighting against god. slavery has nothing to do with that change. working on saturday feels more like slavery to me.JESUS
True, sunday is the day of rest for those who are catholic. But maybe they have forgotten the famous motto of St. Benedict, “ore et labore” (pray and work) since long adopted by the Vatican and the Holy Fathers themselves. The message is simple. Praying alone is not enough but we must also work, otherwise nothing gets done. Please, allow the poor people of our country to make a dollar on sunday if need be. Not compulsory of course, but voluntarily. If a union can protect workers’ rights during the week it can also do so on sundays.
sooooo Nassif, you hire ppl to come comment on DNO man, first time I seeing them comment names there and all of them supporting you.
Leave it to you and your people, Dominicans would work 24 hours,, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month and 12 months a year, for the 2 cents allu giving them. SMH
Well well well, I could not have said it better. They will never see that happen.
You do not go backwards you go forward. If the employers want to open their businesses on a Sunday, because they believe their business is growing and the country laws agree, then it is okay. But legislation should be put in place to compensate those working on a Sunday.
I believe only essential services should be open for business on a Sunday. Already we know children are being short changed when both parents must work in this day and age and in a single parent home, even worse our children are being raised by themselves sometimes because parents must work; society suffers for that in the end. The mighty $ is not always the solution.
Employees should not be forced to work on a Sunday. And those who choose to work, because some might very well need the extra pay and are able to work on a Sunday because they have no other obligations and if they do, the employer should be prepared to pay them double time and a half.
Sunday should not be made an ordinary working day.
But Curtis what does working on a Sunday have to do with slavery? Do you know what slavery means? If the majority of Dominicans were godly and wanted to keep Sunday or Saturday as their worship day, I would have no problem with that. But when I look at the things that we allow to happen in Dominica it is clear that we are just religious and not a godly nation. We have two very strong poisons affecting us in Dominica, religion and politics and when you have the two working hand in hand will see danger. For example, when UWP was in power and wanted to make Sunday a half work day, a particular evangelist called for protest and said all kinds of nonsense. However, when that evangelist is in he US he is happy to go to the malls on Sunday afternoon to shop; but he was against that freedom for Dominica. Now that his party is in power he says nothing! In fact I know of some churches that kept service on Saturday night so that they could attend DLP rally on Sunday. I don’t get Curtis point
The creator have a rest day, what is really wrong with man. Do you really think that is going to improved any economy. Man really has lost their way.
There is nothing wrong in working on a sunday…some of us to lazy!!! you go anywhere in states or france etcc…u must work on a sunday ….. some of us working worst hours out there and are able to live a healthy life…so why we are always opposing things and later saying the country dont move forward…stop being negative and lets make the change and move forward!
God gave man freedom of choice and he said remember the 7th day to keep it holy.Which day is the 7th day?Do you recall what happen to the tower of Babel?The time is coming when we have to choose between the first day and the 7th day.BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURUCH SUN DAY WOORSHIP WAS ESTABLISH.THAT IT SELF WILL PASST.READ ISAIAH 66-22-23
Mr. Augustus you are a good man but I wish you would not use that reference to slavery so freely, our forefathers suffered too much for that. It is a fact that some people already work on sundays if I’m correct. There are the essential public services, such as fire brigade, hospital and so on but I could also mention a supermarket or two that are open to business on sundays. I don’t think the staff of these establishments are compelled to work on that day and they get paid for it.
Fight your battle by all means but please, use that word slavery sparingly, don’t make it look cheap. It does not help your case in this instance. Thank you.
Achille Joseph Shame On you, i know you little boy going to church, this is what u saying today.
Oh my! This guy is tired; he needs rest! Augustus’ Union keeps on the tow line, always responding to initiatives by the employers. When last has WAWU initiated a labour management solution? Even in this matter of Sunday as a normal working day, the Union’s arguments are weak. The employers already explained that there will be no interference with religious worship; they already explained that workers will still have their off-days Augustus gets on like he is the sole decider on the Sunday issue. He behaves as if he is the one to decide whether the day is liberalised or not. He keeps forgetting that the Public Holidays Act is not a labour legislation; it is a civil or public law. The employers do not need the agreement of Augustus on this matter. Their interest is to educate their employees and win the support of lawmakers. Augustus needs to go to the bushwee and take a good bath.
Mr. Agustus, please do us all a favor and look up the meaning of slavery, as it pertains to our history. Unlike our forefathers, who toiled in the fields for no pay, these workers will be paid for their labor.
Instead of trying to stand in the way of progress, what you should be striving for is better pay for the workers who work the Sunday shift. Another thing you should also try to get into legislation is the workers’ right to refuse to work on Sundays. That way, if the employer wants to open on Sundays, they will have to hire more workers, who will bolster your coffers with union dues.
Just staying in the way and saying “no” without offering effective alternatives is not the way to go. You and your union cannot dictate public policy that affects the entire country.
I wish to support DEF solely because I hope there action will spark some kind of action from WAWU. Dominicans will be watching Kertiste and his union closely to see whether the loved Government comes first or members of the union. They have forgotten what it is to show union power as they did in the time of John. So go ahead DEF, do your thing, let us see how powerful the union is or whether their love for the business community or the Skeritt administration comes first.
“He stated that if the purpose of Sunday as a holiday is to worship, what about those who worship on a Friday or Saturday?” I agree 100% with Mr. Joseph. Dominicans DO NOT keep the Sabbath day holy whether it is Sunday, Friday or Saturday. Most of us go to church on Sunday but that is not keeping it holy and therefore I don’t see why w should not work on a Sunday. In fact more people drink rum on a Sunday than any other week day. I have seen those religious people close church on a Sunday to attend DLP convention, so what is wrong with working? Furthermore, I remember in the 80’s when banana reception fell on a Saturday and Sunday and we had to go cut our bananas. In the USA most places are opened on Saturday and Sunday, and yet America is the religious capital of the world! I just think we need to be more flexible in DA if we are going to go forward. We have too many holidays and look Skerrit plan to give those Caribs another one come April. Too much stupid politics!
have u seen how God is punishing the USA? Look at California. Have taken a very close look? GO think and look
What’s happening California has nothing to do with Sunday!
As long as Dominica is “Catholic”, Sunday will always be a religious holiday . When Dominica truly separates Church and state, and promotes true religious and secular freedoms, she will finally start to sail ahead………until then Sunday and merchants will forever be shackled ………..
The Obama administration should do that to.Not that I work on no dam Sunday but Sunday shouldn’t be a working day period.but again I agree, if Sunday is remove of the working days as a form of worship, what happens to those who worship on Saturdays.(although no employee can get an Adventist to work on a Saturday)
Why is it some people are trying so hard to keep Dominica in the stone ages? We talk about how scarce jobs are and yet, this union wants to fight an opportunity to create jobs. If Sunday is considered a normal work day, it doesn’t mean people will be forced to work an additional day, as there are laws to prevent that. It means employers will then have to expand the workforce in order to have that day covered…The WAWU needs to catch up with the rest of the world!!
Do we have to follow the sins of the rest of the world?U can never get an employer to schedule an Adventist to work on a Saturday and further more no government offices are opened on a sunday nowhere in the world save a communist country.What further cash follow will an employer gain in DA on a Sunday?Is it worth it?
This has nothing to do with ‘slavery’. We already have too many holidays as a country…what about our productivity? I don’t see any disadvantage coming from working on a Sunday. Mr Augustus you need to look at it from a business standpoint and what’s best for Dominica.
yeah but are they willing to comoensate for working on a sunday? Sundays are 2x your normal pay
Ok fine.. Are you willing to pay double day for workers that work on a Sunday…
Simple question.
…the island “will never return to slavery.”??????? Sunday was the only day slaves in America did NOT work, not rest, so they could go to CHURCH then get DRUNK to provide Massa amusement and entertainment
Dominica Association of Evangelical Churches (DAEC) what are your views on this matter? Here is an issue directly related to your area of business and expertise, what say you?
this is where they should come out and talk> Lets see how much they care.
They should not have anything to say on this matter. No one is stopping them from going to church. Let those who want to work, work.