Mrs Evalie Bradley, candidate for the Anguilla United Front in the upcoming general election, has spoken on three subject areas of much importance to the people of the island. The first was the protracted matter of a minimum wage for workers. The second was the need for workers to have union representation; and the third had to do with the family as the bedrock of society.
“I want to touch on an issue which has been a political talking point for almost a generation; and it is about time that a concerted and intentional effort is made to lay this matter to rest once and for all, and I speak about the minimum wage,” she said at a meeting of the Anguilla United Front at Sandy Ground on Saturday night, January 17.
“Research has shown that successive governments, as far back as the mid-1980s, have made various commitments to workers to have this issue dealt with. Today, they are no closer to setting a national minimum wage established by law. Several minimum wage committees, with tripartite representation from employers, employees and government, were appointed. They had discussions, meetings and consultations, but without any final recommendation for the completion of the exercise.
“The last such committee was established in October 2010, shortly after the Anguilla United Movement ascended into office, with the promise of minimum wages for the various sectors of employment. This exercise was to have been completed by the first quarter of 2011. The Anguilla United Movement brutally criticised the Anguilla United Front for not introducing a minimum wage, while at the same time portraying the Anguilla United Front as uncaring, unsympathetic towards the working class; but [lauded] themselves as the champions and supporters of the working class.”
Mrs Bradley said the AUM Government had in fact failed miserably in establishing a minimum wage. She noted that in a small society like Anguilla the introduction of a minimum wage was a challenging matter as a balanced approach must be taken, in any determination of a minimum wage structure, as it related to both employers and employees. She said it was therefore necessary to have this issue well researched and assessed as far as it related to standards of living, the climate in which businesses operate and the prevailing economic conditions – as well as the profitability and viability of business operations.
“The Anguilla United Front will ensure that a conclusion is brought to this long, outstanding and overdue issue of setting a minimum wage for Anguilla,” Mrs Bradley added.
When the cheering had subsided, she continued: “While on this matter, I would like to interject the importance of unionism in the development process. I recall, from my days as Labour Commissioner, the need for such was recognised – and I encouraged workers to organise themselves because there is only so much that a Labour Department can do within the limits of the present labour legislation.
“As we operate in a more competitive and globalised environment, the need for a more organised and professionally well-structured industrial relations climate, is of paramount importance. This thing about labour unions being troublesome and disruptive must be dispelled. And so I wish to stress the point that a well-run and organised labour union does so much more than procuring wage increases or improving working conditions for its members.
“It can also positively impact and contribute to the socio-economic development of the island through the education of its members to ensure a high standard of productivity, increased profitability and competitiveness, as well as good customer service and an improvement in industrial relations generally…
“A good union is about educating its employees to give a fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage. It is about educating its members that they cannot expect to go to work every day late, or be frequently absent from work sometimes without a valid excuse and without the attendant consequences. It is about educating its members that it is not right to steal from their employers. It is about educating its members about the importance of loyalty, trust and confidentiality in the workplace. It is about letting employers know that employees must get their fair share of the service charge, and that when social security deductions are made from their wages, they must be paid into the Social Security scheme. It is about bringing to the attention of the employers the rights of their members in the workplace.
“It is about educating the employers that it is not right to instil fair in the minds of the employees that if they joined a union their jobs would be jeopardized. It is about educating workers and employers about health and safety standards in the workplace. It is about educating them of their rights of freedom of association and the protection of their rights to organise as set out in the International Labour Organisation’s Convention number 87. It is about your rights to organise and to collective bargaining; and so I say to you, workers of this island, have no fair about taking membership in a union.”
Mrs Bradley stated that “it is the intention of the Anguilla United Front Administration to ensure that the legislative framework and other policy structures are in place to make this happen.” She stressed that the expected outcome could only be “an improved labour industrial climate in Anguilla.”
On another matter, Mrs Bradley drew attention to the family – a very fundamental issue which she thought was being given little care or concern on the political platform. She went on: “It is an issue which I consider to be very pivotal to the many social issues which face us as a people. The issue of which I speak is the family. While this issue may not be considered as a real bread and butter issue, it is still one from which our bread and butter come as the family has always been considered as the bedrock of society: The stronger the family, the stronger the nation. It is the nucleus of our society.”
