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St Kitts and Nevis table tennis team departs for the 59th Caribbean TT Championship in Cuba

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St Kitts and Nevis table tennis team departs for the 59th Caribbean TT Championship in Cuba

The St Kitts and Nevis contingent will be leaving on the 16th July 2017 for Cuba to represent the Federation at the 59th Caribbean Seniors TT Championship from 18th– 23rd July 2017.

The team is led by Coach Urban Freeman, joined by five players; Baggio Grant, Trehdel Lake, and CalvinLake who constitute the Men’s Team, now for the first time in playing team events Angelisa Freeman along with Shaniqua Esdaille and Shania Harris will constitute the Women’s Team for the event. The players will contest the Men Team and Women Team Championship, Doubles, Singles and Under-21 categories. Mr. Calvin Lake will participate in the Masters.

Coaches Urban Freeman and Calvin Lake commented on the achievement of adding to new female players,Esdaille and Harris who has been in training over the past years. Alsoin adding debutant junior player Trehdel Lake to the Teamthat this exposure allows the athletes in gaining most experience out of games played for all the players.As always we encourage the young athletes to strive for excellence in represent the nation proudly as the future of table tennis is entrusted in them.

It is my view Calvin Lake, SKNTTA President,“I emphasized on exposing as early as possible athletes after being in training and achieving a good standard. This would help in gaining that confidence, mental strength in match play and knowledge of competition play at least the Caribbean level”.

SKNTTA acknowledged the significant continued investment placed in the young table tennis athletes by the St Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee in financing the trip to Cuba.

End of Release

Teen Who Claimed He Was Shot Gets Murder Charge 

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Teen Who Claimed He Was Shot Gets Murder Charge 

By: Spokesman Newsroom

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts- In a turn of events, a 19-year-old man who, in May, told police that he was shot has been charged with attempted murder in connection with that same shooting incident that happened in his home village of St.Paul’s.

Police have reported that on Monday 10th July, Raheem Freeman of Carse Avenue was arrested, formally charged and cautioned for the offence of attempted murder stemming from an investigation into a May 17 incident.

Reportedly, the initial investigation revealed that the victim was sitting on a verandah in Rawlins Housing and was shot at and grazed by a bullet fired by the assailant (Freeman).

Additionally, the local authorities have informed that Freeman (the assailant) later reported to Pogson Hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot injury and claimed that he was shot by an unknown assailant while walking the vicinity of a village shop in St. Paul’s.

Head of the Crime Directorate, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. Andre Mitchell has commended his colleagues for conducting a proper investigation into the incident.

“I want to commend the investigators and technicians working on this case. They looked at the information before them and through good interviews and forensic analysis and going back to their training they were able to bring this charge.”

PHOTO: Raheem Francis (Police photo)

Douglas: “Poesy Southwell, True To The Legacy Bequeathed To Him By The Rt. Excellent Sir C. A. Paul Southwell”

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Douglas: “Poesy Southwell, True To The Legacy Bequeathed To Him By The Rt. Excellent Sir C. A. Paul Southwell”

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JULY 3RD 2017 – Political Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party  (SKNLP) and former Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil Llewellyn Douglas has paid tribute to the late Cardinal Poesy Southwell,  describing him as a “worthy ally, faithful and obedient son, forgiving and loving father.”

Poesy, son of former Chief Minister, former Premier and National Hero, the Right Excellent Sir Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell, died last Friday in the United States.

“Poesy was a stalwart who never gave up the struggle and was prepared to personally join the battle as a “soldier” if that was what was required of him to maintain St. Kitts and Nevis on the path of good governance, prosperity and progressive inclusive growth and development for one and all. And this was the position he adopted and pursued throughout his adult life, whether he was at home or abroad, and as early as the Statehood period of the Labour Administration of which his father was Deputy Premier, during the post-Independence period of the PAM Administration, during the near twenty years of the succeeding Labour Administration and the last near thirty months rule of the present Coalition government,” said Dr. Douglas in a statement on Monday.

He said that as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition and Labour Movement,  he had the opportunity and privilege of hosting countless meetings with him and full teams of American and Asian investors in New York, Connecticut, Philadelphia, New Jersey and  at home, in the true spirit of a hard working and dedicated Developer and Ambassador looking for the right opportunities for the advancement of his country, whether it be in infrastructural, renewable energy, resort hotel or international financial services development.

“He was always ready to do battle in defence of the legacy of the Movement and at a moment’s notice he was there, either on the radio talk shows, or with the pen as his sword, or physically present as a champion for the cause at the Annual National Conference, at the street corners, at the restaurants and bars or in the privacy of the homes of his many many friends,” said Dr. Douglas.

“Today, Poesy is no more. We shall miss him. We shall always Remember him: Worthy Ally, Faithful and Obedient Son, Forgiving and Loving Father, Inspiring Sibling, Steadfast and true to the generational mandate and the legacy bequeathed to him by the ‘Giant’ of all our National Heroes, past and living, the Right Excellent Sir Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell,” said  in tribute.

He said now that Poesy Cardinal Southwell is relieved from his earthly labours, “may his soul rest in peace eternal and rise again, at the sounding of the trumpets, to be taken in flight on the wings of angels to be permanently with the Lord.”

Dr. Douglas used the opportunity to convey to his immediate family “profound condolences, love and support during this sad moment of great loss and may they be fortified with our prayers.”

SOULS.  MATTER AND FAMALAAYYY!!!

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By: FAIR SHARE FOR ALL

The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force is recruiting a hundred more young men and women into its ranks.  I am happy for that.  Happy because I should soon be seeing a police presence on every street corner in the federation.  Happy because the police presence should translate into the reduction and detection of crime.

And that is essentially all that we are asking of the police.  Reduce and detect crime.

But if the indifferent attitude that seems to pervade the force manifests itself in the new recruits, there will just be one hundred more of the same which would make me very unhappy.

So I await the arrival of these hundred new pairs of boots on the ground.

In the meantime, the murders continue.

Blowing out brains sort of murders which no longer make us shudder.Thanks to TIMES CARIBBEAN.

We have become so immune to gore that we could be eating and looking at human brain matter.

We have lost our soul.

And confidence in Team Unity.

As a result, the disappointed continue to vent their frustration on social media.  Disappointed that they had believed that a man who had been with Labour for eighteen years, a man who had acknowledged that he was not good enough to serve as national security minister would suddenly be gifted with the ability to curb crime.

That is why there is no plan.  That is why the buck has to stop with the commissioner of police.  That is why it has been trial and error with everything including crime since 16th February, 2015. “Make up as they go” as Hon. Marcella Liburd so correctly describes the strategy of the Team Unity government.

That is why one elected minister and one selected minister would have completely opposing views on one issue.  That is why the elected has been shut down by the selected to avoid these contradictions.

No plan.  No policy.  No clue.

Just like with the Basseterre High School.  Big talk.  Big protests.  Yet no viable location for the new state of the art BHS.

Contrast that to when Labour said that they would build a five star hotel and a thousand homes.

Surely, if Team Unity, while in opposition, could have obtained the list of the entire work force of the federation in order to know from whom to beg hefty donations, certainly acquiring a map of Basseterre with available, or the lack thereof of land space for the new BHS, state of the art to boot, would have been a cake walk for them.

But no.  Team Unity doesn’t want any cake walk.  That would be too easy for them.  They like the complicated for the complicated allows opportunities for corruption.  Which is what they want.

And that is why the country is in neutral if not in reverse.  Instead of looking at opportunities for the people, Team Unity is looking for opportunities for themselves.

Even if they have to set up their sisters with construction companies, they will do it.  Even if ministers have to set up building materials companies, they will do it.  Car rental.  Tent rental.  Just to name a few.

There is absolutely no economic activity that is taking place in the federation in which a minister in the Team Unity government is not involved.

TRADE UNION NEWS: July 7th 2017

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By: Batumba Tak

General Secretary

The St. Kitts-Nevis Trades & Labour Union

The Role Of Trade Unions In Industrial Relations

In the words of William Burros, “The role of a Labour Union is to ensure that the balance is not tipped in favor of the employer when employees do not receive wages/salaries and benefits commensurate with their contributions.”

The Historians have affirmed that less than a century ago, the Labourer had no rights, little or no respect, and lead a life which was socially submerged and barred.

Right here in our very beautiful country back then the Plantocracy organized misery into small gang and much other injustices against the working class people (the Masses). In addition, they then went ahead and proclaimed the right of the Planter Class to act without restraints and without conscience.

Thus, the only answer to this intolerable and dehumanizing existence was economic organization through Trade Unions. The working class people (the Masses) became determined not to wait for charitable impulses to grow within the Planter Class soul. As a they went ahead and constructed the means by which there could be fairer sharing of the fruits of his/her toil had to be given to him/her with treat to Planter Class by demonstrating that the wheels of industry, which him/her alone turned, would halt and wealth for no one would be available.

Nonetheless, let us continue by looking at the role of Trade Unions in industrial relations.

Even after all of those International Labour Industrial Laws that were agreed to and accepted, the majority of employers continue to prohibit their workers from posting about Trades & Labour Union at the workplace.

However, very careful research has clearly shown us that Trade or Labour Unions have been around since the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s to resist through equal bargaining power the domination of the Planter class/employers over workers and to represent workers interest in the employment relationship.

Moreover, the plain truth is, it is through Trade Unions efforts that workers benefit from better wages/salaries and working conditions, and that is why they are now being treated with dignity and respect at the workplace. In fact, a couple of years ago at two particular workplace right here in our very beautiful country, the workers chose to elect shop stewards to be a part of the negotiating team and to represent them on a daily basis.

During their time, at those workplace their employer objected to their involvement at that level. However, their Union, the St. Kitts-Nevis Trades & Labour Union insisted that such was the choice of the workers while indicating that it will fully support the decision of our membership. Eventually the employer accepted the workers choice. As a matter of fact those workers turned out to be excellent shop steward: In addition, they also told the Union that before they became shop stewards their employer did not respect them and that all of a sudden, they were called upon to be fully involved with the daily decisions that were being made by the company on behalf of the workers.

It is also has been an accepted fact that the importance of Trade Unions cannot be overstated at the workplace, even though their membership has been on a steady decline recently because of many different factors on the world stage.

We shall now turn our attention to Collective Bargaining.

Occupational Safety And Health: July 7th 2017

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By: Joseph Jones

Workers! I will remain on your case all of the time; there will be no stopping! Ok?! We are creatures with all kinds of needs. Without air, water or food, for instance, we canot go on living.

In addition, to these absolutely basic necessities, we have a host of others that must be met if we are to be healthy and happy. But these needs are not just physical, emotional and social, they are also spiritual.

Anyone who thinks humans beings (we) are mere organism (organic structure, a body exhibiting organic life) is over looking our most essential need. I am moved by passion (hasty) when it come to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).

Now, I said this on many occasions and I will continue to say it. You are not alone, nor defenseless once are you a member of the St. Kitts-Nevis Trades & Labour Union. Workers, Trade Union education is still our number one priority and elsewhere in our document you have to read about our participation in several training programmes.

Just as we fight for comfort in the workplace for the workers that we represent. Permit me now to present in more detail some areas of information.

A workplace can contain a number of hazards for workers. Firstly, there are more evidence of unsafe working conditions such as unguarded machininery, slippery floors, and inadequate fire precautions.

There are the hidden hazards which fall for convenience into a number of categories, often such risks combine together to making the problem worse for you, the workers.

For instance, in the case of you working in a noisy place not hearing an alarm call, or you feeling dizzy from chemical fumes and falling down some stairs without a hand rail.

Hello! Looking at some jobs I will name a few: (1) A welder can be burnt from the sparks or start a fire. There is also the problem or the severe light which can cause permanent eye damage and the fumes sent out by the process can damage the lungs (2) A mechanic, depending on the precise duties, there are the problems of safety from cuts and falls. Additionally, there is also exposure to chemical hazards: oils solvent and exhaust fumes.

Mechanics can also have back problem through lifting heavy parts or bending for long periods (Personally for me, I encountered that problem). This is serious!

(3) A textile worker. You face a variety of problems. First, there is the problem of safety which many unguarded machines and risk of fire which such combustible material about.

Furthermore, there is the hazards of noise and vibration. Also, the question of dust from the material which can seriously affect the lungs. Let me make this emphatically clear, seamstresses and tailors exposure to cotton can lead to the Occupational disease known as Byssinosis.

(4) Telephone and electrical workers working at height always faces the dangers of falling or becoming tangled in overhead wires or branches of trees. You can be working in all weathers and continually stretching to reach the faulty circuit.

(5) Not forgetting you the carpenters. Nearly 50% of you are not Unionized. You face a variety of hazards. Here are the top safety problems: Blunt tools, unguarded electric saws and the danger of fire with so much wood and saw dust in the workplace. Other concerns include noise and poor lighting.

Until next week, I hereby display a warm hearted  affection to all the workers in St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

Thank you.

“Dey say dat de fellas dem…”

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“Dey say dat de fellas dem…”
  • Dey say dat de fellas dem dung by de frilly mout deputy ain mekking no joke wid him. Dey tell him dat now dey done do what he ask dem to do, he ain want to pay dem what he promise dem.  And if he ain look after dem properly, head gon roll.

 

  • When de Marriott man see de man wid he big placard, he nearly tekeen. He tell Idi Amin dat he family one carn get all de wuk.  He, de Marriott man, mek promise to people too.   But Idi Amin tell him dat so long as he ain sign to say dat he support him for de big wuk, he gon see how barley grow.

 

  • Since de calypsonian went go protest, he ain gone back. Dey tell him dat if he ever pull a stunt like dat again, dey gon let Mable expose him.  So he call off all de rest protest dem.

 

  • People did waiting for de government to say dat hurricane coming and shut dung de town. But dey say dat a big man from de chamber tell dem dat if dey shut dung town again and no storm come, de government will have to pay he worker dem.

 

  • Dey say dat Idi Amin bring een de man to mek him de minister. He tell somebody dat he carn tek de pressure.  He ain know what to do.  He tired try blame de Boss and dat not wukking anymore.  He say dat if he did know dat he woulda end up wid de ministry, he would not a have so much to say before dey win.

 

  • Idi Amin tell a close friend dat he ain care what commission a enquiry say bout de man. He warn sleep when night come.  He say dat none a dem in cabinet can tell him nutten because he offer de ministry to everyone a dem and none a demtek him on.

 

  • Idi Amin say is a man like dat he want. Shoot fuss den ask crestion after.  He say when he and de man done widde federation, crime gon be more danchending down.

 

  • Sleepy Hammy nearly tekeen when he hear de lady who know everyting bout everyting ask de young doctor what he doing as de representative for de constituency. He tell de young kipper dat he don’t know how much more disrespect he can tek.

 

  • He tell a friend dat he does have to drag heself go wuk everyday how he does don’t want go. He say dat is only because he fraid Ms Whisky tek out he money when he ain show up otherwise he woulda stop home.

 

  • When people get to hear dat Idi Amin done put everyting in place to mek sure dat de case gainst he people dem go through bush, he start to root like a hog. He say dat he gon find out who talk and whoever it is, not gon have no more wuk.

We Need An Economy Which Serves The People

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At the 2017, World Economic Forum (also known as The Davos Conference) held in March, a special session was devoted to an examination and consideration of what has been termed ‘The Middle Class Crisis’, but which essentially is about the growing levels of economic inequality all across the globe.

Most of the problem seems to be related to reductions in employment prospects coupled with a steady decrease in income levels in many economies, developed, developing and under-developed alike. The general feeling is that policy makers have been ignoring these trends and have been doing little or nothing to redress them and their outcomes.

This has all given rise to the burning question ‘what can be done to restore growth in the middle class and confidence in the future?’

Needless to say relatively smaller numbers even venture to consider the far worse plight of the poor and down-trodden, and how they may be helped to lift themselves to more humane levels of common existence.

Professor Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is one of the leading social scientist in the world. He is the author of over 100 books on topics as varied as socialism, the mass media, linguistics, politics and war, to name only some. A staunch opponent of the Vietnam War, he had the ‘honour’ of being placed very highly on President Richard Nixon’s “List of Enemies”.

For decades, Professor Chomsky has been warning America and the world about the ever increasing disparities in income levels, in both monetary and real terms, but very few appear to have been sufficiently moved by his warnings to take up the struggle in any real or meaningful way. He has written on the distribution (and re-distribution) of wealth, raised questions such as ‘Is the free-market really free? Is it really democratic?’, and one of his leading works is titled ‘Keeping the Poor Frightened’.

On the global scene, the situation is bad enough to be the cause of increasing concerns. Indeed at The Davos Conference the special session was labelled “Squeezed and Angry: How to Fix the middle Class Crisis”.

In The United States, the matter appears to have risen to truly worrisome levels and is gaining traction. Indeed, the matter of income inequality as well as the need for a re-distribution of wealth were some of the main items addressed by US Senator Bernie Sanders throughout his presidential election campaign, and they were items which attracted the attention of huge numbers of ordinary people.

All through the ages, people have agonised over the effects of living in societies in which there were large disparities in wealth. A common result has been that those who ‘have’ feel threatened by those who do not, so the well-to-do always try to suppress those who do not have.

Empty Promise About Crime Solving Is Showing

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By: Thinking Citizen

The longer the Team Unity government or the government of the “Nine Blind Mice” stays in power the more stupid and foolish becomes its explanations and excuses for its incapacity to deal effectively with the rapidly rising torrent of crime and violence.

Just recently a bright spark member of the Team Unity government declared publicly that the present-day problem of crime and violence took twenty (20) years to develop and so it is unreasonable and unfair to expect the Team Unity government to be able to solve in two (2) or three (3) years a problem that took twenty (20) years to develop into the situation that it is in today.

The crime and violence situation did not come into being twenty (20) years ago. It came into being long before that. It started in the year 1966 when certain subversive elements in St. Kitts and Nevis started to smuggle in illegal guns and bullets in preparation for the planned invasion of St. Kitts on the 10th of June 1967.

Violence erupted again years later with the murder of Police Officer Jude Matthew and Sydney Morris’ son and the son’s girlfriend. It was during this time also that St. Kitts earned the reputation in the international press as “Devil’s Island”.

Dr. Douglas took over the government, tackled the problem of the Devil’s Island without murmur or complaining and St. Kitts turned into a Land of Beauty, Our Country where Peace abounds. One can almost say that Dr. Douglas turned “Devil’s Island” into “Angel’s Island.”

It is easy for the members of the “Nine blind Mice” government to try to blame Dr. Denzil Douglas and his Labour Party for the current level of crime and violence in St. Kitts and Nevis. Sure it is easy to assign blame but in the circumstance it is extremely difficult or near impossible to make the blame stick. After all no one in Team Unity can alter the facts of history.

When Team Unity was in opposition and was conducting its general elections campaign, its members told the entire electorate time after time, both in St. Kitts as well as in Nevis, that Commissioner of Police Walwyn and Prime Minister Douglas and the entire Labour Party government were incapable of solving the troubling crime and violence situation and that Team Unity would solve the problem of crime and violence when the people vote-in Team Unity as their new government.

When   Team Unity was campaigning, no one ever heard its members speak of the slow manner in which crime had developed and consequently it had taken twenty (20) years for crime and violence to grow to become the serious national problem that it has become.

The Firmness Of The Christian’s Faith

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In Philippians 1:23-24 Paul believed that at the moment of his death his consciousness would leave his body to join Christ in heaven.  Is this the case?  It is demonstrated in the way Paul dedicated his life to preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Here is what he said, “And he entered the Synagogue and for three months spoke boldly arguing and pleading about the Kingdom of God” (see 19:8; Acts 20:25; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31).  During this time, Paul was subjected to persecution, beatings and several periods of imprisonment. When he wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was enduring a period of house arrest in Rome. The Apostle knew that the Roman government had authority to put prisoners to death. Paul knew what the future might hold for him, whether it will be execution or his release.

Paul said this concerning the two possible outcomes: “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.” (Philippians 1:23-24). Many have assumed from Paul’s words here that he believed that at the moment of his death his consciousness would leave his body to join Christ in heaven. How possible is his belief? Before focusing on what this scripture says, we must notice what it does not say. It does not say when or where Paul would be with Christ if he departed. Neither is the terminology of departure intended to be geographical as in leaving the earth to go to heaven. We must look at the text and see that there is no mention of heaven. To conclude otherwise is to read assumptions into Paul’s words; Paul is simply referring to departing from his present, physical residential area through death.

When writing to the Philippians here, Paul was struggling with two desires. He wanted to be done with his fleshly life and be with Christ, but he also wanted to remain with God’s people.

In his second letter to Timothy he speaks dogmatically of what lies ahead, knowing the end of his physical life is near and he is ready to depart: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

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