Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 10, 2018 (SKNIS): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis assured regional and international partners of its commitment to the tripartite process and the many ways in which the local members – government, private sector, and workers – are collaborating to provide decent work for all.
The message was shared by Senior Minister and Minister of Labour, the Honourable Vance Amory, who headed a five-person delegation to the 19th American Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO), held in Panama from October 02 to 05. Other members of the delegation included Ron Dublin-Collins, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour; Shernel James, Commissioner of the Labour Department; Brenda John, Executive Director of the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce; and Joseph O’Flaherty, President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Trades and Labour Union.
Every four years, political, economic and social actors from countries across the region meet to discuss pertinent issues at the conference. Agenda topics examined the progress of countries during the last four years and evaluated the main challenges the region faces in order to achieve a more sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth model.
Senior Minister Amory told delegates that it was important for tripartite members to recognize that by working together, the objectives of providing decent work for citizens and residents will be realized along with the appropriate social protection and services in health and education. This, he said, will allow persons to enjoy recreation and have time for and with their family.
“In this regard, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, in collaboration with the tripartite partners, continue to discuss changes in the way that we train our people both at the school level and at the level of adult and continuing education to ensure that they are prepared with the necessary skills and capacity to perform in the world of work,” Honourable Amory stated.
An important component of this is technical and vocational training. The partnership with private sector to encourage increased investments was also cited as a medium “to create more jobs, decent jobs, to meet the demand for employment among our people, especially our youth.”
The Minister of Labour added: “our ongoing discussions seek to formulate a modern Labour Code to provide the framework for the functioning of labour in the future economy of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Senior Minister Amory noted that in the coming weeks, an advisory committee will consult with social partners on a review of the minimum wage, and how any new minimum wage aligns with the decent work agenda.
