The following broadcast was made by Mrs Ursil Webster-Brooks on Radio Anguilla:
Thanks to Almighty God for spared lives. I greet you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and wish you all a blessed New Year!
My heart and prayers go out to our Anguillian Community with our continued acts of violence, our Caribbean brothers and sisters in St Vincent, Dominica, St Lucia, Barbados and other nations as we mourn the loss of our loved ones by natural causes, lay-offs, disasters or otherwise.
At this time I reflect on the situation facing workers in Barbados, as I listened to the item of news concerning the possible laying off of 3000 workers in various occupations over a period of time, I recognized the names of my colleagues at the National Union of Public Workers and my thoughts go back to the many times our Brother Dennis Clarke came to the rescue of the Anguilla Civil Service Association when under pressure and at the brink of collapsing. The current intervention by the Union in Barbados is an indication to employees in the public and private sectors in Anguilla to rise up and become active members in their respective Unions – The Teachers’ Union with fifty-five years of existence (55), The Nurses’ Association- forty years (40), The Police Welfare Association – forty-two (42), The Anguilla Civil Service Association – forty-years (40) representing the other employees, The Anguilla Hotel and Allied Workers Union – eighteen (18) years representing employees in the private sector. It is time to stop saying Anguilla needs a Union. Get on board and you will save the gains the foundation members and others have put in place following the guidelines and policies by the International Labour Organization-Social Security, Maternity Benefits, Salaries and Wages, Workers’ Compensation, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Human Rights and other information.
Presently, efforts are being made to establish a Pensioners Association for persons fifty (50) years and over who were employed in the private and public service to protect our rights and privileges in our golden years. Together we can bear each other burdens. Make sure your name is listed by calling us at 264-582-7855.
Could you for a moment imagine that a similar directive was written to the former Government to reduce the public service to what it was in 2007. What would have become of the many school leavers and other employees over the years? We must say thanks to the Hon. Chief Minister, Mr Hubert Hughes and his Government officials for not giving in to that request since 2010. Believe it or not, as a retired civil servant with thirty-six (36) years of experience in the public service who worked in eight (8) Departments and as a Labour Advocate, I could not support such a request. Thanks to the Anguilla Christian Council, the Evangelical Association which included Pastor Gerard Gumbs, President of the Anguilla Civil Service Association for the role played in hours of discussion over a period of time to ensure that the public service was not cut down and employees sent home by the Governor’s office which is responsible for the Public Service.
Thanks to the business places and other stakeholders for their varied initiatives and incentive packages in the interim. Thanks to our families and the wider community for putting up with the frustrations and inconveniences caused through the salary cuts of public servants/civil servants in an effort to keep all employees on board. To this end, I am calling on all employees in the public and private sectors to give a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. For good inter-personal relations between employers and employees and fairness, which includes paying public servants what is owed to them . Whether you are called a public servant or not, give the best customer service you can by displaying positive attitudes, deportment at work – your image speaks volumes, good work ethics, good manners and respect for self and others. Make use of the increased and advanced technology at your disposal. Complain less and undertake personal development courses offered at the Distance Outreach University Centre, Anguilla Community College, the Comprehensive Learning Centre, the Community Centres, the Chamber of Commerce, and the private tutors .
Thanks to Her Excellency the Governor, Ms Christina Scott, the Members of the House of Assembly and all those involved in ensuring that the 2014 Budget was passed at the beginning of the fiscal year for the common good of us all..
Regardless of what cries you have, your conditions of service are much better than those of us who have been the stalwarts and championed the physical, cultural, social and economic landscaping of Anguilla. Collectively, let us make the best possible use of our God given talents and help to make our Anguilla a safer place. Parents, the Holy Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it”. In 2014 and beyond put God first place on our priority list. See that our children are in Sunday School just like how we make sure they go to pre-school, on to primary, secondary school and attend other functions. Matthew 7:33 “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. God knows our needs before we ask so let us embrace and LOVE each other more and put a STOP to the gun violence and other forms of violence around us.
