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  • January 3 is a regular work day in accordance with the law, says Labour Minister

January 3 is a regular work day in accordance with the law, says Labour Minister

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DAILY OBSERVER: A statement from the Labour Department informing the public that Monday January 3 will be a “regular working day” – despite New Year’s Day falling on a Saturday – has left some residents confused.

“I don’t get this – both New Year’s and Christmas is on a Saturday but yet there is a difference in which day is the holiday,” one resident remarked on social media.

Another woman queried: “Is this a prank?”

Minister of Labour Steadroy Benjamin has sought to clarify the matter saying, “I am extremely in favour of the statement of the department.

“We have discussed this in detail, we researched the law and we are satisfied that what they indicated there in the publications are a correct reflection of the law.

“Christmas Day and Boxing Day…is not the same as New Year’s Day,” he said, referring to the relevant statute.

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The Public Holidays Amendment Bill of 2019 says, “when Christmas falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday and Tuesday shall be public holidays” since Boxing Day will follow immediately after.

It also states, “when the first day of January falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be a public holiday and the same for Boxing Day”.

When January 1 falls on any other day but Sunday, the official holiday is observed only on January 1.

Independence Day is the only other holiday given the same treatment as Christmas and Boxing Day.

The Labour Department’s release also reminded employers that staff scheduled to work on public holidays should be paid their regular wage, in addition to an hourly rate of 150 percent of their basic rate per hour worked.

And it informed the public that December 25 and 26 this year would also be treated as normal working days. The official public holidays for Christmas are December 27 and 28.

The latter sparked a stormy response from the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union. The body, in a press release yesterday, asserted that employees who work on December 25 should be given holiday pay “due to the fact that Christmas Day is and has always been a common law holiday and is considered part of the sacred Christian calendar of common law holidays and is recognised in the Public Holidays Act Cap 354 as such, along with Good Friday and Sundays”.

The union stated that the 2019 amendment bill did not abolish Christmas Day as a common law holiday and that the bill was made law without changes to its statutory provisions.

The union said they will therefore be going to the courts to seek an interpretation of the Public Holidays Amendment Act of 2019 and “once found correct, we will be demanding that employers pay employees proper compensation for work done on Saturday December 25 2021″.

They also called on the Labour Minister and Attorney General to rethink his position because “there is no legislative provision which alters or revokes that common law position”.

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]