By: Spokesman Newsroom

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Thursday 2nd October 2025)-Well-known social  commentator and former government minister Dwyer Astaphan has shared his view on the handling of the matter involving the arrests and charge of  four (4) female workers of RAM’s Supermarkets.

 “I believe in law and order but I also believe that law and order must be measured by reasonableness, understanding and justice. And I must say that I am uncomfortable with the faces of these women being plastered all over social media. Note, they have not even been tried in a court of law yet. And even if they were, why would their photos be posted in the media? Aren’t they already suffering even now? Won’t they suffer greatly even without the photos being posted? Even if they are found not guilty? So why take that extra step to do more damage to them?,” in his latest public commentary on Tuesday 30th September 2025.

Astaphan questioned whether the alleged thefts justified such public exposure. “What did they steal? A million dollars? Is that justice?” he asked.

He pointed out that RAMS, in its staff memorandum, quoting some parts including that the company says it is “more than just a workplace” in describing it as a  “close-knit community that depends on mutual respect, trust and responsibility.

” ‘Every employee plays a vital role in delivering honest and reliable service to our customers, and we hold every team member to the highest standards of integrity. The memo goes on and I quote, it is with great seriousness that we address an unfortunate and growing concern which is theft within our stores. Please note that there is a zero tolerance policy towards theft no matter the amount, no matter the circumstance. Any employee caught stealing will face immediate termination and the matter reported to the police without exception’.”

Astaphan continued: The memo goes on to say that while the immediate consequence of being caught stealing is termination, the implications of theft extend beyond the workplace. Being charged and convicted of theft can have serious personal, social, and legal consequences, which may affect you for the rest of your life and some of the consequences are difficulty getting a job in the country, disruption of your life and your relationships if or even if not, you have to go to prison. And I’m adding a few words in here on my own. Financial hardship, reputational damage, loss of future opportunities, social isolation, difficulty getting a bank loan or a visa, emotional and mental suffering, etc. The memo ends by assuring employees that it was not sent out with the intention of intimidating them, rather to protect their jobs, their future, and the reputation of RAMs stores by asserting that every honest employee deserves a workplace where integrity is valued and wrongdoing not tolerated and telling employees, that was the memo, that if they are experiencing financial hardship or personal challenges, they should speak confidentially to their supervisors or to human resource. It ends by saying, we are here to support you in the right way, not at the cost of your job, your future or the trust of the community.”  

However, Astaphan argued that the wider realities of workers’ lives should be taken into account.

“While I do not encourage theft and criminal behavior, I sincerely believe that context is important. We need to understand the context in which things happen. If not to justify those things happening, then at least to try to understand why and how they happen, which might bring us to preventative and mitigating and less calamitous solutions and outcomes.”

He noted while speaking on general terms that many low-wage workers, especially women, face immense pressure from rising rents, lack of housing solutions, and absent fathers. 

“For the most part, women in that situation, they rent, they’re not paid enough. They are unprotected against some of the most vicious and viperous characters in the country-irresponsible and out-of-control landlords,” he said, pointing out that governments have failed for decades to properly enforce rent protection.

Astaphan also highlighted the mental strain faced by struggling mothers.

“They put off the medicine until next week so that they can feed the child. They buy unhealthy foods, which cause them to spend more money in the drugstores, already not getting enough help from fathers, already making a pittance at the job. More problems in the home. More headaches for these women. A toxic home can be a liability and a danger to the entire community.”

As options, Astaphan suggested that RAM’S-which he labelled as the “biggest food merchant in the country”-should look for ways to ease the burden on its employees instead of resorting first to police action.

“Perhaps if the company were to give more locals an opportunity for middle and upper management jobs, or provide significant discounts to employees, or even a monthly $100 grocery voucher, those things would help build and strengthen mutual trust, loyalty, morale, and respect-and reduce theft.”

Astaphan called on both employers and policymakers to reflect on the bigger picture. 

“I’m not saying you rule out termination or reporting to the police,” he said “but rather than that being a first priority, more consideration should be given to the realities of workers’ lives. That would be good leadership.”