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Private sector group wants end to industrial impasse as public servants stay away from their jobs
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (CCIA) Monday called for an end to the industrial action by public servants who are demanding higher salaries from the Kenny Anthony administration.
CCIA executive director Brian Louisy urged both the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) and the unions representing teachers and public servants to return to the bargaining table.
LIAT suspends flights to St Lucia
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The Antigua-based regional airline, LIAT, Monday announced it had been forced to suspend flights to St. Lucia where public servants have taken industrial action to force the government to increase their salaries and wages.
A brief statement from the cash-strapped airline did not say how many flights were being suspended but said that the suspension was due to the absence of fire services at the George F. Charles Airport on the outskirts of the capital.
“LIAT wishes to apologise for any inconvenience caused,” the statement added.
Deficit of meritocracy in the Caribbean
KINGSTON, Jamaica - A meritocracy exists where selection and promotion of people is based on merit, more specifically, their qualifications and performance. Regrettably, there's a deficit of meritocracy in the Caribbean.
In the national political arena, selection is based on political party affiliation, amount of money donated, race, class and gender. Civil servants are mostly promoted by seniority. Longevity and patience are more important than competence and performance.
PM appeals
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony Monday appealed to public workers to accept his government’s four per cent wage increase and prevent the island from “any further hardship” as workers stayed away from their jobs for higher salaries.
"Our country does not need mayhem, confusion and disagreement at this time, our people need to get together, we have a crisis on our hands to deal with and it is critical and crucial that we come together deal with it, but very clearly it has to be a shared responsibility across the board," Anthony said.
US-Antigua trade dispute exposes global inequity
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - AT their recent inter-sessional summit in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, Caribbean leaders called on the United States to comply with the ruling by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to end the long running dispute with Antigua on Internet gaming. They affirmed their “full support” for their CARICOM colleague in its fight against our giant neighbour to the north.
However, if past behaviour is any guide to future action, sceptics would be justified
in believing that the Barack Obama Administration will not behave any differently
Audit finds US loan program in Haiti fill with flaws
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - An audit of a U.S. Agency for International Department program that aimed to boost Haiti's economy by providing loans to businesses has found that the program failed to award loans to intended targets, train workers and keep accurate records.
UN’s tragic stand against Haitian cholera victims
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - THE RECENT DECISION by the United Nations to invoke “legal immunity” in support of its rejection of compensation claims by thousands of Haitian cholera victims poses an immediate challenge for the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
It’s of particular significance – coincidental or not – that the UN’s announcement of its rejection of damage claims on behalf of more than 5 000 Haitian cholera victims was made public within two days after President Michel Martelly had hosted Haiti’s first summit of CARICOM Heads of Government on February 18 and 19.
CCJ begins hearing evidence in historic sitting in Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The lead attorney for the Barbados government, Queen Counsel Roger Forde, will continue his cross examination of Jamaican Shanique Myrie on Tuesday as the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) continues its first ever sitting here in the case in which the Jamaican national has sued Barbados.