By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 1st November 2019)-Under the theme “All Hands On Deck In Securing Our Future’, delegates gathered at the 80th annual conference of the St.Kitts-Nevis Trades & Labour Union on Sunday 27th October at Masses House on Church Street which saw the election of a new members to the executive body among other changes.
Sydney Bridgewater-the immediate past First Vice President- has been elected as President with newcomer Larry Vaughan as First Vice President.
Second Vice President James Pemberton and Treasurer Frank Farrell have been returned to their positions.
Acting Editor of the Union’s media entity-The Labour Spokesman- Precious Mills- was voted General Secretary having previously held the position of Assistant General Secretary to Batumba L. O. Tak. Notably, she has made history as the first female to fill that position.
Another new comer, Curtis Francis, has been elected as the Assistant General Secretary.
Bridgewater, in giving opening remarks at the conference, outlined that: “In my presentation at the recent National Conference on Labour, I said 100 years is not 100 days as I saluted the milestone achievement and today I can express the same sentiments. As a union that has survived 80 years of service to the workers of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis, it sets an excellent tone and outlook for the future, and I would encourage us to look closely at this year’s theme ‘All Hands On Deck In Securing Our Future’ because it is going to take the collective efforts of us all in doing our part to ensure that the baton of progress is passed on for the continued safeguarding of the rights of workers.”
He had highlighted that regarding present and outgoing membership, there is a high percentage of the members are above the age of 62 which is the age grouping for pension packages.
“Our dear comrades Ronnie Wigley and Lorinston Jenkins-who are dealing with some medical issues-have humbly asked to retire from their years of service as they have come to the conclusion that wish to see someone else fill the gap in replacing them. As many of you can appreciate, there are some members whose age factor hinders their ability to function like in the youthful and productive years gone by,” he told.
“These are our realities that we face currently as a Union but we are optimistic that our experienced and longstanding members have set a solid foundation for generations to come,” Bridgewater added.
The newly-elected president had expressed his anticipation in seeing a new executive committee being installed to carry on the work of the Union in light of challenges.
“Delegates, well-wishers and friends of the conference, presently the future of the Union is at a cross road and I would like the focus of the conference during our deliberations that seek to use this period at the working sessions of the 80th to 81st conference to transform our Union, putting in place an interim Executive Committee.”
Bridgewater continued: “The passing of the president (Joseph O’Flaherty Jr.) and the medical situation of the General Secretary has seen the Union functioning with a skeleton crew, and again I emphasize that this needs to be addressed as soon as possible. I am looking forward to a replacement or a successful pool- first to answer the call of being committed and ready to continue the work of this great union in carrying out its mandate in seeing to the rights of workers in this Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. I pray God’s assistance in this undertaking.”
More coverage to follow in future articles.