BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - UNEMPLOYED individuals in St. Kitts and Nevis will soon benefit from a new scheme to be introduced by the Federal Government Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas disclosed on Wednesday (Oct. 29).
Prime Minister Douglas made the pronouncement while giving an address at the launch of the Long Service Gratuity Scheme at the C. A. Paul Southwell Industrial Site.
“I want to make reference to another area that we are trying to protect our people and our workers. The government has been in negotiations with the Social Security Board and management” Prime Minister Douglas informed and noted that the government is seeking to put measures in place which would protect unemployed individuals in the event that events like the recent global recession should impact the Federation.
“People who have been genuinely working hard making contributions to the Social Security fund and they happen to become unemployed, that they should not go a begging.”
He also announced that the final meetings for the scheme were already held and the initiative will soon be implemented.
“They should be entitled to a short term unemployment benefit and I announce today that the final meetings have already taken place and very shortly, we shall have those unemployed received a short-term unemployment benefit from the Social Security Fund if they happen to become unemployed.