WORKERS TO BENEFIT FROM ENHANCED COLLABORATION BETWEEN LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 04, 2021 (SKNIS): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is moving to strengthen the relationship between the Department of Labour and St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board in order to streamline programmes to benefit workers.
 
Prime Minister and Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, gave some insight into ways the government will be enhancing collaborative efforts in the coming weeks and months.
 
“We expect a report to Cabinet shortly regarding the feasibility of setting up an E-platform for the Labour Department and Social Security to interface with each other on severance payments and related matters, while observing and confirming with data privacy and data protection issues,” Dr. Harris stated in his New Year’s Address on January 01, 2021.  
 
The government is also preparing to implement actuarial recommendations on the Severance Fund, Long Service Gratuity and Unemployment Benefits.
 
This comes after an additional $7 million was pumped into the Severance Fund to facilitate payments in 2021.
 
Prime Minister Harris said that his administration remains committed to empowering workers across the twin-island Federation.
 
“… This demonstrates our love and concern for workers,” the prime minister said. “We will continue to protect our workers and ensure that their future is safe and secure. These are important labour values, which further demonstrate our commitment that our workers are protected at all times.”
 
Dr. Harris added that additional measures to increase worker empowerment will be implemented.
 
“My government will extend duty-free concessions accorded to first time home builders to the Teachers’ Union, the Labour Union, and any of our Credit Unions and Banks, which will undertake to build new offices or to make significant renovation of existing offices, and engage in approved residential developments within the next twelve (12) months,” he indicated.
 
This, along with the duty-free concessions to first-time homeowners over the next 12 months, is expected to spur further construction activity in the country.