BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A clarion call was made by President of the St. Kitts-Nevis Trades and Labour Union, Joseph O’Flaherty for people to know their rights and responsibilities within the work environment and to take them seriously.
Responding to a reporter’s question at the recent May Day Rally on what representation, if any, could be given to nurses by the Union, the President declared that they are aware of several issues facing those health professionals.
He stated that some of the issues were relayed to the SKNTLU by workers whom they had engaged individually, but noted that his organisation could not effectively address the problems until they would have liaised with the Nurses Association.
“First of all, we need to have discussions or dialogue with the Nurses Association because we have been having discussions with individual nurse professionals. So the next step is to have dialogue with that organisation.”
O’Flaherty is of the view that in addition to some workers affiliated to his union, those of the Nurses Association also need to be educated on their rights.
“As is evident with our union members, and we suspected it’s the same with the Nurses Association, there needs to be considerable efforts in terms of education of basic worker’s rights within the Federation.”
Over the last several weeks, nurses have complained about salaries and unfair treatment at the Joseph N. France General Hospital.
In his explanation for the need of more education on workers’ rights, O’Flaherty stated they had found that many people go to work and are unaware of the laws that protect them and also “the policies that empower them”.
He added that “we have felt that we as the trade union, the leading union, have work to do in terms of providing this vital service to the workers”.
O’Flaherty stressed that one does not have to be a union or representative to get such information. He declared that such information is all free to anyone who needs it.
