A leading Dominican trade unionist has told the Antigua and Barbuda government that they should emulate the nature island, in terms of legislation for employees.
General Secretary of the Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAWU), Kertiste Augustus said Dominica boasts of several legislations, to the advantage of workers.
“We have the Protection of Employment Act, which to my mind is a beautiful Act because it prescribes five conditions under which workers can be terminated,” he said at the 50th Annual General Meeting of Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union this week.
Augustus pointed out that because of the Act, employers can no longer terminate employees, “just like that,” noting that “it is not like before that if the employer doesn’t like your face, to just tell you leave his place,”.
As it stands, an employee can be terminated while on probation, for serious misconduct and extended medical reasons.
The Protection of Wages Act is another legislation that Augusts said Dominica have enacted, much to the advantage of employees.
“An employer cannot unilaterally deduct money from your salary without your consent and or agreement,” he said.
He told the Antigua government that it should also seek to establish at the local and national level a system of regular tripartite ‘consultations on development issued impacting the state.
“We cannot allow the parliament to make a determination, we should be involved because we are partners in the process of development,” Augustus said
He also called for the establishment of an oversight committee to assess and analyses projects funded by the European Union and other international donor agencies.
“We must continue to be advocates for trade union involvement in discussions at the annual heads of government,” he added.
Augustus told the unions that they must campaign with the present administration to get them to reinstate discussions with the union heads at the Heads of Government Conference.
The unions’ involvement was revoked several years ago without reasons.
Some of the other suggestions made by Augustus were the inclusion of an annual subvention for educational purposes and the continued presence of unions at the annual labour ministers meetings.
useless……if u know how u fall out of grace in my eyes eh ….I will let you know how disappointed I am when we meet in person. I already told Letang that he will never sit in the white house like charles because he has no BALLS. yes told him straight to his face.. he knows it! he couldn’t even watch me .. he jus drive off.. If a common man cannot get fair pay after a fair months work… what point is there to life?? useless men all around in key positions of society… you see my people ..there are only two possibilities, either their heads are so far up their *** they really have no idea and are truely clueless and useless, or they are jus acting the part of a mute and are COMPLICIT..it is as simple as that to me…
trade unionist becomes politicians. boy we doh want to hear you
thumbs up
Really/ Dominica giving Antigua advice on wages? The wages professional Dominicans make in Dominica is less than the taxes that Dominicans employed in Antigua pays to the Antiguan government. Have no choice but to SMFH!
Smfh reading this. The trade unions in Dominica arebadically nonfunctional and emasculated yet Kurtis is advising trade unions in Antigua.
One area that outtrade union leaders can advise on is the art of cowering and kissing up to despotic leaders of government.
You Antigua to implement start in your yard first before going out. Woder if Cutis is really serious.
So much the government is doing wrong and not putting you all feet on the ground. Check G.P.O the strike yesterday.
whereby what he is saying has merit….would prefer the vibes in Antigua, far much better in terms of their salary caps etc,, so they’re doing something which enables a better way for their employees…in Dominica the wages are too low for too long a time…
what you need to think even though things are tight in the global environment the Antiguan economy is more aggressive than in Dominica, why do over 8,000 Dominicans and continuing to flock to Antigua for work???
Means they have economic drivers their Tourism Industry at least is booming the Antiguans are clever they get cash stimulating in the economy? eh?
what does Dominica have? that’s the key we need to take a page more from Antigua at least the gained a better deal from the Chinese than the Dominican Jokers..haha
look at the Upgraded V.C Bird Int’l that’s what u call pride and vision, what does Dominica have to show? your Govt in Da selling passport what does it benefit the average citizen? eh? any salary…