By Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Monday 12th December 2023)- Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy, and Utilities Konris Maynard is encouraging members of the public to respect and cherish all individuals including those who are differently abled.
“Together as a community and as a country, we all have our individual strengths. If we come together acknowledging our strengths, working on our weaknesses, we can be the better country that we need to be.” – NEWS –
“By providing a fair and liveable wage, we empower our workforce, allowing them to support themselves and their families without the constant strain of financial hardship and insecurity. It is well known that when workers have more disposable income, they spend more within their communities, thus stimulating local businesses,” Dr.
Drew noted. He continued: “This creates a cycle of growth, leading to increased production and economic stability. We also acknowledge that raising the minimum 48 wage is an investment in our future as it fosters a healthier, more motivated, and more productive workforce.
It incentivizes people to pursue education and skill development, knowing that their efforts will translate into a better quality of life. 119. Critically important, is the fact that increasing the minimum wage reduces the reliance on public assistance programs as workers are better able to sustain themselves through their earned wages.
Numerous studies indicate that modest and gradual increases in the minimum wage have contributed to reducing turnover, improving employee morale, and overall productivity.” PM Drew, the Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) pointed out that “a key promise of this St.
Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration is to increase the minimum wage for the industrious working people across our Federation.”
He made the disclosure during an interview with this media house during the ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoe’ annual awareness event, organized by the St Kitts and Nevis Association of Persons with Disabilities (SKAPD) held on Friday 8th December 2023. Asked about his experience as a wheelchair user for the occasion, Maynard shared: “Well, obviously when you’re in a wheelchair you have limited mobility and it really shows the courage and the mental strength of persons with disabilities because when we have all of our senses and all of our abilities, we encounter challenges in life that we think we can’t overcome.
But when I think of persons with disabilities who don’t have access to a wheelchair, I think of them as people with disabilities.” He continued: “And when I think of persons with disabilities who don’t have access to all of their senses and all of their capabilities then we really have “I say to our people who have been patient for almost 10 long years for the government to bring relief to their situation, ‘We got you.’ Only a St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration can rise to the defence of the workers of this country,” he highlighted.
Dr. Drew stated that: “Our Government is determined to ensure that this important policy initiative brings real improvement to the standard of living of the people in our workforce. We will therefore monitor its impact on the workforce on a continuous basis to ensure that it achieves the desired result of enhancing the well-being of our workers.” Notably, the St.
Kitts-Nevis Trades and Labour Union (SKNT&LU)-owner of this publicationis a member of the National Minimum Wage Advisory Committee (as the workers’ representative) and would have submitted its position paper on topic as well as participated in various meetings of the body in adding its voice to the discussion of championing the cause of workers.
to respect and facilitate those with disabilities. One of the things that we are committed to as an administration is one focus on this particular group of persons.  According to him, the government has “nitiated a ministry that will deal specifically with their issues and we will also do the same at an infrastructural level where we are going to ensure we continue the upgrade of the sidewalks and [other areas] in Basseterre and around the country to make sure that persons with disabilities have appropriate access to everywhere in St Kitts and Nevis.” In sending a ‘Walk in my shoes’ message to members of the public, Maynard stated: “So one thing you always hear your grandmother or your mother say is that don’t ever complain about your situation too much because there’s probably always somebody who has it worse than you and so I think that in appealing to persons who don’t have disabilities that yes you have challenges, we all have challenges and so on but we must pay due respect to those who are a bit differently able to us because their challenges; they have the same challenges that we have added to the additional abilities that they don’t have access to, and also we must always show them love and respect.” Maynard further pointed out that:”In times past it has been very easy [for some people] to not be so nice to persons who have disabilities if I might put it mildly.
We need to respect and cherish all of our citizens and residents. No matter what they have been dealt with or dealt in this life, we just need to all be there together.”
