Caribbean Times 88th Issue - Thursday 8th September 2016

4 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Thursday 8th September 2016
Domestic workers getting organised
By Everton Barnes
Efforts are afoot to organise
domestic workers and
to provide them with job
security and other benefits
enjoyed by workers in other
sectors.
Industrial Relations Officer
of the Antigua Trades
and Labour Union, Andie
Stephen, said her union has
been making some progress
in its on-going attempts to
bring the domestic workers
together.
She said two meetings
were held over the past week
with the one Wednesday seeing
the largest turnout so far.
“Usually, we were seeing
between five and six persons
attending the meetings
in the past but between Saturday
and again yesterday
(Wednesday), we are seeing
a combined total of thirty-three
people attending the
meeting. This is a sign that
By Everton Barnes
People who lose their homes and/or
valuable items in house fires will be able to
appeal to the government for greater assistance.
According to report coming out of the
Cabinet, the government has reviewed a
1987 Cabinet decision regarding the amount
of money fire victims can receive from the
treasury.
“The old Cabinet decision makes provisions
to pay up to $5,000 for a family of five.
But through this new update, fire victims
will be entitled to as much as $5-thousand
per person depending on the extent of the
fire damage,” he revealed.
the domestic workers themselves
want to be organised
as a bargaining unit,” Stephen
stated.
According to the union
official getting the domestic
workers to come together
has been quite a challenge,
however, the union
embarked on an aggressive
public relations programme
to encourage the workers to
attend.
“We did a number of radio
interviews and this was
followed up with a flyer and
we also encouraged those
who attended the first meeting
to tell and friend and to
bring along someone new,”
she stated.
Stephen said the aim is
to organise the workers in a
similar manner as workers in
the hotel industry and to set
standards that will govern
this sector.
“There’s nothing in place
for when a domestic worker
reaches age 60 and we want
to ensure that they become
part of a retirement plan.
These are some of the things
that we want to see put in
place on behalf of domestic
workers,” she added.
She outlined a number
of steps that have to be put
in place before the domestic
workers are fully unionised.
“We first have to ratify
the International Labour Organisation’s
Convention #
More help for victims of fire
He said the minister overseeing this development
will be asked to make the determination
of how much money is paid out by
using his/her judgment.
Hurst admits that the recent spate of fires
that has left two people dead and several
others homeless had an impact on the decision
by the Cabinet at this time.
He said the Cabinet is also aware that the
Fire Chief has reported that many homes in
Antigua and Barbuda are without the necessary
devises that will save both lives and
property. The government has already been
on record announcing that it is in the process
of acquiring 25-thousand smoke detectors to
be distributed freely across the country.
189 which lays out in clear
terms a commitment to ensure
decent work for all
domestic workers,” she explained.
Among other things the
Convention Preamble states
“Recognizing the significant
contribution of domestic
workers to the global economy,
which includes increasing
paid job opportunities
for women and men workers
with family responsibilities,
greater scope for caring for
ageing populations, children
and persons with a disability,
and substantial income
transfers within and between
countries, and
Considering that domestic
work continues to be
undervalued and invisible
and is mainly carried out
by women and girls, many
of whom are migrants or
members of disadvantaged
communities and who are
particularly vulnerable to
discrimination in respect of
conditions of employment
and of work, and to other
abuses of human rights”.