St. Kitts – Nevis Government To Review Minimum Wage

minimum wage for politicians

Federation To Review Minimum Wage

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
June 11, 2008 (SKNIS)

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is pleased with the high level of participation during the first stage of the minimum wage review process and is now awaiting submissions from partner agencies.

The first consultation was held on June 5, at the conference room of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and was attended by approximately 30 representatives from the public and private sector.

“In my opinion the meeting was very fruitful [as] it took the form of an interactive dialogue,” Astona Browne, Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Labour said during an interview for the SKNIS radio magazine programme, Perspectives. “Members present gave their views on the proposal of the minimum wage and there was consensus on the matter.”

Government initiated the pay scale review in an attempt to ensure that workers at the lower end of the income bracket can cope with the spiraling global cost of food and oil which threatens to drive millions into poverty in countries around the world.

Read More

Nevis HIV/AIDS Unit Offer Free Testing To Fathers

HIV/AIDS Coordinator on Nevis - Nicole Slack-Liburd

HIV/AIDS Coordinator on Nevis – Nicole Slack-Liburd

Charlestown, Nevis
June 10, 2008

Fathers and Fathers-to-be on Nevis, will receive a special gift from the Nevis HIV/AIDS Unit in time for Fathers Day, when it hosts its second national testing day activities on June 14, 2008. The activity will be held at the Villa in Charlestown from 10 am-5pm.

Acting Health Planner and HIV/AIDS Coordinator on Nevis Mrs. Nicole Slack-Liburd told the Department of Information on June 10, 2008 that the event themed “Take the test take control” and “Men know your status; protect you, protect me protect us”  would target fathers because women were the ones who had primarily received testing for the disease.

“Our target audience this time around is primarily men because we realise that in comparison to women men are under tested here in Nevis so we are targeting them this time around.

“The primary reason people get tested here in Nevis, we realise, are for insurance purposes, for work permits and also we do encourage anti natals to test and we are finding that the majority of persons getting tested are women, so we are putting on this activity for Fathers Day on the day before Fathers Day so we are giving men a gift of testing and it is important to test,” she explained.

Mrs. Liburd explained that the event was initially planned for June 27 to coincide with the world wide observance of National Testing Day, however it was moved up to the day before Fathers Day because it was important to get men involved in the testing.

She said the testing activity would be a three step confidential process which would involve voluntary counseling and testing.

Read More

OECS Attorneys Generals Urged To Be Relentless

OECS Attorneys General In Tortola

OECS Attorneys General At Meeting In Tortola
Photo Courtesy Of BVI Information Services

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
June 10, 2008 (CUOPM)

Attorneys-General from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have been urged to be relentless in the execution of their duties as watchdogs of their respective legal systems.

Speaking on behalf of the Government at a ceremony that marked the opening of the 14th Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Legal Affairs Committee meeting in Tortola, British Virgin Islands Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Social Development Hon. Dancia Penn, OBE, QC told delegates they have a significant responsibility in the ongoing development of their respective nations.

“Part of the short message I would wish to leave is to urge you as attorneys general – guardians of the public interest and principal legal advisors to our governments – to be firm, to be relentless, to be fair as you work to strengthen our legal systems and our execution of governance at every level,” she said.

The Deputy Premier and former Attorney General and Deputy Governor also noted the historical and cultural ties that exist in the sub-region, and reiterated statements by the BVI Premier, Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE, which called for the BVI to continue a policy of cooperation with its Caribbean neighbours.

The Deputy Premier said she was pleased that one topic of the meeting would be model family law.

Read More

PM Douglas Speaks About AIDS At United Nations

United Nations Conference on HIV / AIDS Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis June 09, 2008 (CUOPM) St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas is leading the Federation’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly High Level …

Read More