St. Kts: Political pandering or good faith?

While some people are relieved and appreciative at Monday's announcement by the Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas, of a salary increase for certain categories of public workers, others are sceptical that he will be able to pull it off.

Labour Day, a day set aside to celebrate workers' rights, marked a huge turnaround for thousands of the Federation's public servants.

In an unrehearsed, unprepared speech expressing gratitude to his workers climaxing the St. Kitts/Nevis Labour Day March, Dr. Douglas declared the salary increase.

"I made a pledge to myself that at the first sighting of light from the dark economic tunnel, my attention would be focussed on the lowly paid workers of this country....it is therefore with pride and a great sense of achievement that I announce today that effective 1 June 2004 the wages, the salaries of all government employees working for no less than 40 hours a week shall be no less than $250 per week.

The problem with the Caribbean is that the state government is too often the largest employer.