The St. KittsNevis Trades and Labour Union is looking forward to the upcoming International Workers’ Day (Labour Day)- observed on first Monday in Maybecause it is a special occasion for workers all around the world including right here in the Federation of St.
Kitts and Nevis. It is a widely celebrated observation which spotlights the economic and social achievements of workers, and of course the various labour movements around the globe are recognised for having been the movers and shakers in championing the cause of the workers in fighting for the rights and well-being of workers.
Today, the fight continues. Infact, the role of working for workers is an ongoing relationship focused on seeing to the welfare and interest of all workers at all times. In general, the SKNT&LU is encouraging workers of the Federation to join the organisation.
A special call at this time is being made to all domestic workers to join the SKNT&LU, especially those who are employed in households as caregivers providing for clients. You cook, you clean, you wash and more, and so we want to give you a helping hand in protecting your rights.
Employers, we want to talk with you too. Simply put, a domestic worker is an individual who works in the homes of others for pay such as caregivers and cleaners. Hence, the employer is the person whom a domestic worker works for.
Instantly, many of us can bring to mind a family member or friend who fits this work category whether they are full time or part time and local or migrant. Perhaps, some of you are even employers. Dear reader, how do you view domestic workers in general?
Do you respect that domestic work is work? In October 2022, at our annual conference, a resolution was
passed to have a Domestic Workers section. Earlier that month in October, SKNT&LU General Secretary Precious Mills attended a five-day conference event organised jointly by the International Domestic Workers Federation ( IDWF) and Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) and was hosted by the Jamaica Household Workers Union ( JHWU). ‘Caribbean Conference: Investing in Decent Work for Domestic Workers, Ratification and Implementation of C189 and C190’ was the event theme.
Notably, C190 addresses workplace violence and harassment. Guyana, St. Lucia, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago were among the participating countries at that conference. Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and Guyana are among countries that ratified C189 by September 2022.
Although much debate can be had about the need to update the existing labour laws in St. Kitts-Nevis, at present our Federation has pieces of legislation which speaks to domestic workers. For example as found in the Domestic Worker Order 2005 and Protection of Employment Act.
However, this is not enough and so the St. Kitts-Nevis Trades and Labour Union commits to championing the cause of domestic workers by joining other countries around the world including in the Caribbean region such as Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda as well as Grenada in lobbying the government to have ILO (International Labour Organization) Convention 189 (The Domestic Workers’ Convention) ratified.
It is our Union’s interest to see that C189 is not just ratified on paper as an agreement but implemented thus ensuring the government’s full commitment. Those standards which domestic workers deserve as pointed out previously are actually among the minimum standards which C189 sets out.
Dear domestic workers, help us to give you a helping hand. Visit our office at Masses House on Church Street in Basseterre or contact us via 465-2229 and info@sknunion. com
