Fellow Anguillians, today May 2, 2022 marks our observance of Labour Day, a day when we take time out to recognize the hard work and contributions of all our workers and give God thanks for his manifold goodness and blessings on the people of this island.
This is my second address since taking up the mantle of Minister of Home Affairs with responsibility for Labour in July 2020.
It is noteworthy that rebounding after a global pandemic, you as workers have proven that in the face of adversity great things can still be achieved.
As workers, you continue to persevere and make your mark as an integral part of the society.
As workers you can feel a sense of great accomplishment.
It is with gratitude, for your relentless efforts in the work places, that today I pay homage to all of you – no matter what type of work you do.
We are now seeing record occupancy levels in the hotel sector. This has translated into better employment opportunities for our workers and positive spin offs for the economy in general.
As Minister of Labour, accompanied by my Permanent Secretary and Labour Personnel, I have been paying visits to the various properties to see the working conditions of workers and to hear first hand from the workers their issues. We have also been meeting with senior management including work permit holders to outline expectations of performance and conduct. These visits so far have been cordial, yet frank and extremely productive. There will be ongoing visits to other properties in the weeks ahead.
Attention will be paid to the critical labour issues such as retirement benefits in order to determine how best to address these matters so that all employment sectors may benefit. A more formalized understudy policy has been designed and is scheduled to roll out shortly. Also, there is a planned legislative agenda including much needed revisions to the existing labour legislation. We should see progress in this area later this year.
The Ministry of Labour is in the final stages of establishing a minimum wage committee structured around ILO guidelines. This committee should be approved by EXCO shortly and begin its work immediately. A number of public consultations and other public awareness activities will form part of the process towards arriving at a Minimum Wage.
I invite employers and employees and the public in general to fully participate in these consultations when they are announced.
As your Minister of Labour I will continue to value each and every worker. I will continue to champion for better working conditions on your behalf. You are the backbone of this island. You are respected for the incredible jobs you perform everyday – your efforts certainly do not go unnoticed. Today, I recognize all workers throughout this island, knowing Anguilla will not be able to shine without workers like you.
As I did last year, I do so again this year by encouraging our labour sector in Anguilla to give serious thought, once again to the potential benefits of Unionizing – to secure fair pay and monetary remuneration, decent working conditions and requisite benefits and rights. The Ministry of Labour and the Department of Labour, while fully supporting fair and equitable working conditions and productivity for all employers and employees cannot be a substitute for Unions.
Also, I also reiterate my plea from last year to all employers – particularly those in the hospitality sector – to see your employees, at all levels, as valuable assets. It is important to make them feel valued and worthwhile members of your organization. Your profitability is directly hinged to their productivity.
As your Minister of Labour, I wish you all, the respected and deserving workers of Anguilla, a Happy Labour Day 2022!
