BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DURING the last meeting of Cabinet held on February 23, Government announced the establishment of a special committee specifically tasked with the responsibility of investigating the current state of the local job market.
According to a Cabinet press statement, the meeting focused extensively on the world economic crisis and the possible ramifications it may have on the local economy. In the report, Minister of Finance Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris noted that the government must act accordingly considering that the world’s largest economies were in recession and that even the fastest growing economies in Asia were expecting significant reductions in economic growth rates.
In an interview with SKNVibes, Minister of State with Responsibility for Information Hon. Nigel Carty informed that Cabinet agreed to appoint a committee to assess the impact of the crisis on the availability of jobs within the nation, paying particular attention to hotels and industrial plants.
“The committee has been formed because of what is happening in the global economic environment. We continue to receive reports of layoffs in various countries around the world; America being the leading case. So, we thought we should observe closely what’s going on. We do know of one factory that has already dismissed members of staff and so it is important for government to keep a tab on the factories and hotels where many vulnerable citizens work.
“The Committee formed consists of top government officials from the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the Ministry of Tourism, and will have regular contact with the relevant employers to come to an agreement, where necessary, in terms of layoffs. The Committee is also expected to report to the Cabinet on a weekly basis so that government would have the opportunity to respond in the most appropriate manner.”
Carty added that the committee will have the opportunity to offer recommendations as to how the government can act in a way to protect affected employees, adding that the government views industrial workers as “a critical segment of the working population”.
Similar provisions including an Unemployment Benefit Fund have been implemented in Antigua-Barbuda to assist those directly affected by the economic slow-down, however it has not been revealed whether the government of St. Kitts-Nevis would be prepared to take such measures.
