CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The St. Lucia government Wednesday expressed its “most sincere gratitude and appreciation” to civil servants who have defied strike action by their colleagues over demands for increased salaries and have turned out to work. In a statement, the Kenny Anthony administration said that their selfless actions have ensured that vital governmental services to the general public have not been compromised and that it was not also obligated to pay workers who stayed away from their jobs. “The Government of St.
Saint Lucia
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC-Agriculture Ministers from the Windward Islands will be meeting here on Thursday to prepare for another major threat to the still vital regional banana industry.
The industry is grappling with the Asian banana disease, described as a new and formidable enemy, which authorities describe as being worse than Black Sigatoka.
Officials say the disease is fairly new and associated with the rise in temperatures. As a result, the Ministries of Agriculture in the four islands are seeking to adopt all precautionary measures.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Civil servants stayed away from their jobs on Monday disrupting several government services and ignoring appeals from Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony and the main private sector organisation to end their industrial dispute over increased salaries.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC - A St. Lucia owned company Cellestial has been awarded an EC$1.3 million (US$500,000) grant to pursue innovative projects in the region. The company was selected from among thousands of applicants that were shortlisted to 7 finalists and then finally to winner status following months of investigation, heavy competition and deliberation. Regional Communications Ltd., Cellestial’s parent company, entered a Compete Caribbean competition called the Enterprise Innovation Challenge Fund (ECIF) 6 months ago through its innovation window.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC-Efforts to arrive at a settlement in the protracted wage talks between Government and the Trade Union Federation (TUF) received a further set back Wednesday when the general membership of the Civil Service Association (CSA) rejected the 4% increase with conditions proposed by the Government and earlier accepted by teachers and police. President of the Civil Service Association, Mary Issac said the general membership felt that conditions highlighted by the Government was more of a smoke screen and would represent empty promises.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The St. Lucia Teachers Union (SLTU) has accepted a new offer by the government signalling a possible end to industrial action by public workers that has severely disrupted the operations of public services on the island. The SLTU Tuesday voted to accept the government’s four per cent wage increase in addition to six of the eight conditions outlined by the union during the talks with the Government Negotiating Team (GNT). The GTN had made two new offers from its original offer of a four per cent wage hike.
WASHINGTON, CMC – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Tuesday said that St. Lucia has weathered the difficult post-crisis environment, becoming the largest economy in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU).
The ECCU comprises Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Montserrat, St. Kitts-Nevis, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, , CMC – The Trade Union Federation (TUF) is keeping up the pressure on the Kenny Anthony government for a six per cent increase in salaries for public servants who on Monday began the third week of their dispute with both sides sticking to their positions.
The TUF, which groups many of the public sector unions here, remains convinced that the government can meet its demand despite indicating that it could only afford a four per cent wage hike.
The TUF is schedule to meet with the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) this week.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) says it is moving ahead with plans to develop the yachting sector in the sub-region. A statement issued by the Str. Lucia-based OECS Secretariat Monday, said that a meeting was held late last month in the British Virgin islands to advance plans for the development of an action plan for the sector. The meeting was supported by the European Union under the 10th European Union Development (EDF) Economic Integration and Trade of the OECS region project.