BASSETERRE, ST KITTS – Eighteen months after taking office, scores of ex-sugar workers are yet to receive monies promised by the three-party government of Prime Minister Dr. the Hon Timothy Harris.
Upon the closure of the sugar industry in 2005, hundreds of sugar workers employed at the time were adequately compensated to the tune of EC$28 million. . Workers in the sugar industry took home just over EC$4 million for their final week’s pay, holiday pay and other bonuses when they were paid on Friday 5th August 2005. Overseas workers who were paid similar benefits took home close to $1 million. Millions of dollars were also spent to build new homes and improvements to existing homes of ex-sugar workers.
In 2008, when the Peoples Action Movement (PAM) falsely accused the Labour Government of owing $16 million to ex sugar workers, Observer jjournalist Floyd French, reporting on the issue wrote: “The PAM leadership has charged that the current Labour Government owes ex-sugar workers $16 million. (Dr Timothy) Harris dismisses this as “political antics in a silly season.”
Harris explained that the $16 million is the difference between the $40 million the government had first estimated as compensation payout and the $24 million that was actually paid out. Harris believes that the Labour Government gave the ex-sugar workers the best deal possible and points out two calculations were used and the better of the two was what the worker received.”
But after he was sacked from the Labour Cabinet, the same Dr Harris in an about turn accused the same Labour Government of which he was a part of, of owing ex-sugar workers $16 million. Months after taking office a cheque in the amount of US$16 million was handed over as a gift by the Government of Venezuela, but the Harris Government claims it was a check for EC$16 million. Prime Minister Harris then changed the criteria from monies owed ex sugar workers who were adequately compensated when the industry closed, to all ex sugar workers including those deceased will instead be given a “gratuitous payment.”
Today, scores of ex-sugar workers as well as the relatives of those deceased have accused Timothy Harris of not fulfilling the promise and are yet to receive monies.
“Eugene Hamilton and Timothy Harris went to the people of St. Peter’s and promised that all those who would have worked in the sugar industry and their parents or relatives who would have passed and had worked in the sugar industry would be compensated,” said Dr. Drew.
“Right now in St Peter’s, hundreds of people cannot get their compensation as promised. They were lied to by Timothy Harris and Eugene Hamilton. No wonder the people of St. Peter’s did not show up for the recent Town Hall Meeting,” said Dr drew on Wednesday’s “Issues” programme on Freedom FM
“I went to Stapleton and a man told me that Eugene Hamilton fooled me off. He told me that if I voted for him I would get my sugar money and now he is telling me I am qualified but I am not going to get any money. He wants to know what qualified me…qualified because you worked in the sugar industry but lied to so you would not get any money.
Go to Stapleton and talk to the persons on the streets and they would tell you how they were lied to by Timothy Harris and Eugene Hamilton,” said Dr. Drew, who further pointed out that constituents were also fooled into the promise of a liveable wage because the minimum wage of $360 per week was not enough.
“He promised a liveable wage of $500 per week, yet when he went to St. Peter’s recently that issue was never addressed. He also promised that each household earning $3,000 or less per month, would receive an extra $500 monthly, but the people of St. Peter’s, like all others around the country are still waiting 18 months after,” said Dr. Drew.
Another promise of revoking the lands under the Land for debt initiative and the same lands being given to locals were not even raised by Prime Minister Harris and Minister Hamilton at the Town Hall Meeting.