This May Day address by the Leader of the Opposition discusses the struggles workers are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's response. It summarizes that this May Day is about struggling against job losses caused by lockdowns, struggling for frontline workers to receive bonuses instead of pay cuts, and struggling against the government's anti-worker policies during this economic crisis. It expresses hope for workers and their contributions, despite the challenges, and pledges the opposition's continued support for workers.

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MAY DAY ADDRESS 2020
BY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, HON PHILIP J. PIERRE
A MAY DAY OF STRUGGLE AND HOPE
This May Day is a May Day of Struggle against the COVID 19 Pandemic and its
repercussions which have destroyed the livelihoods of millions of workers throughout the
world in the forced lockdown of countries and their economies. It is a struggle for the
thousands of displaced workers here in St. Lucia, the majority in the tourism sector, many of
them young persons, who now have to find the means to sustain themselves in the uncertain
months ahead.
It is a struggle for our COVID 19 frontline workers who should be rewarded with bonus
salaries for their work but who, with other public service workers in Saint Lucia, have to
stand up to a Government which has decided instead, to cut from the cash that it has to pay
them for at least the next three months. It is a struggle against the callousness of a
government which is pursuing an anti-worker policy in dire economic times and at a time
when the world is standing in international solidarity with workers. It is a struggle against a
Government which does not seem to understand that this policy is counter-productive, since
by reducing the disposable income it has to pay to its public servants, it will be reducing the
amount of money circulating in the economy and will push the economy into further
recession and cause more hardship to the other businesses on the island.
There are other alternatives to this misguided action by the government. In presenting my
Economic Recovery and Stimulus proposals last month, I recommended the following in
respect to the payment of public servants salaries for the three months April - June: “The
salaries for public servants should be financed by the issuing of new public debt or from

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existing surpluses. The international financial institutions will support this venture; banks
will also be expected to support this undertaking with rollovers or fully subscribing to the
new issued debt.”
Since this recommendation, the Government has declared that it does not have surplus
revenue to pay public servants because of COVID 19. However on 28th
April, the IMF
announced that it is providing emergency financial assistance to St. Lucia, Dominica and
Grenada to help address the challenges of COVID 19. This is “to help cover balance of
payments needs, including fiscal space for essential health expenditures, income support to
workers and cash transfers to households.” St. Lucia is to receive US $29.2 million or
$78M EC.
This announcement from the IMF confirms the soundness of my recommendation that,
through international financial institutions and the banks, the Government can raise the
finance to pay the public servants. The Government therefore should not be insisting on
borrowing money from public servants to start its election projects. When the Government
gives bonds to the public servants for their salaries, instead of paying them in cash, the
Government is not complying with the spirit in which the IMF financial assistance was
granted. The government is essentially taking a loan from its employees the public servants.
No government which is committed to the welfare of its workers would do such a thing in
such an unprecedented economic crisis, but this government has never been for the interest of
workers of the country, one simply has to recall the treatment of the NICE workers when they
came into office four years ago.
This May Day is also a May Day of sadness, for the COVID 19 pandemic has cost the lives
of tens of thousands of workers throughout the world. Many of those engaged in the front
lines of the fight against the virus have succumbed to the very disease from which they are
attempting to protect the public. Although we have not lost any lives here in St. Lucia, and I
pray that we will not, I want to extend my sincerest condolences to the families of all the St.
Lucian workers in the Diaspora who have died from COVID 19.
Despite the lethal shadow of this disease, this May Day is still a May Day of hope.
There is hope in the invaluable contribution that these workers, displaced by the pandemic,
made to the maintenance of our economy before COVID 19.
There is hope in the valiant service being rendered by our doctors, nurses, firefighters,
emergency officials as well sanitation workers to keep us all safe from the pandemic.
There is hope in the untiring work of the water company employees to ensure that we receive
water at this critical time.
There is hope in the hours of pressure and endurance patiently sustained by gas station
attendants and supermarket workers as they strive to facilitate the crush of hundreds during
the lockdown.
There is hope in the faithful toiling of our farmers and fishers to continue to provide food in
the face of the uncertainty that it will be sold in the current circumstances.

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There is hope in the enterprise shown by those who have devised new services to deliver
goods to us to enable us to stay safely at home.
There is hope in the creativity of our youth, expressed in the renowned rhythms of musicians,
in the remarkable verses of our young poets, in the excellence of our artists and sculptors, in
the fascinating inventions of our young scientists at their science fairs, in the determined
ambition of our budding IT and media activists, in the aspirations and commitment of the
National Youth Council.
It is that belief in our youth that gives the Saint Lucia Labour Party the inspiration that a
sound foundation has been provided for a successful youth economy even with the
uncertainties of CORID-19.
There is hope in the quiet professionalism of our teachers who are resourcefully responding
to the sudden challenge of the introduction of e-education to our children this term.
There is hope in the selfless efforts of those trying to feed and house the homeless as the rest
of the nation remains in their homes to avoid contracting the virus.
There is hope in the universal recognition of the importance and value of all these workers to
the smooth functioning of our societies.
There is hope in the world wide acceptance that it is these workers and not politicians who
are the real heroes.
To all of them I say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart and the bosom of my party.
I want to thank you and congratulate you for what you have been and are accomplishing for
us, for what you are giving to us and for what you are teaching us.
I want to take this opportunity to extend special congratulations to the medical and other
personnel of the OK EU hospitals for their smooth and extremely efficient transition from
Victoria Hospital to the new OK EU hospital in record time last month. In your clinical
execution of the transition, you demonstrated that St. Lucians are quite capable of managing
the delivery of our healthcare; and you vindicated the position of the Saint Lucia Labour
Party that the hospital should not be placed in foreign hands. In your display of excellence,
you also proved that St. Lucians can rise to the challenge of a crisis and that Saint Lucian
workers deserve to be celebrated.
As destructive as the pandemic is I want to urge my fellow Saint Lucians to consider the fact
that the virus according to the science is more lethal to people with pre-existing conditions
like diabetes and high blood pressure. This is the time to consider changing our eating habits
and commence a regular exercise routine so as to reduce our chances of exposure to these
non-communicable diseases.
As we extol the achievements of our workers, as we extend our commiserations at their
losses, we also wish to reiterate our commitment to the workers of St. Lucia on this unusual
May Day.
In this extraordinary environment of COVID 19, the Saint Lucia Labour Party pledges that it
will continue to fight for and support our workers in the struggle to survive and to reverse the
economic shocks of COVID 19.

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It was the Saint Lucia Labour Party that approved a 60% pay increase for our civil servants,
doctors and nurses and other public servants hence allowing them to enjoy an improved
standard of living.
It was The Saint Lucia Labour Party that first enacted laws to ensure that employees were
entitled to holiday with pay, protection of their wages, and the right for everyone to vote at
general elections. That is why we will be forever grateful to our first visionary Leader the
Hon George F.L. Charles.
It was the he Saint Lucia Labour Party under the leadership of Dr Kenny Anthony that
improved legislation to make trade union recognition compulsory once it was the wish of the
majority of workers.
It was the Saint Lucia Labour Party that amended the NIC legislation to ensure that
contributions deducted by employers were protected by holding directors and business
owners personally liable if payments were not remitted to the funds.
To this day it is the Saint Lucia Labour Party that insists that our young people should receive
an appropriate education and workers constantly re-engineer and improve their skills so that
they may be adequately prepared for the jobs in the new technologically driven economy.
The Saint Lucia Labour Party pledges that it will continue to fight for and support our
workers in the struggle to survive and to reverse the economic shock of COVID 19.
It was the Saint Lucia Labour Party that enacted Saint Lucia’s first Labour Code to ensure
that workers were not unfairly dismissed without due cause.
As I wish all our workers well on this extraordinary May Day I urge you to follow all the
health protocols against COVID 19 so that you can remain safe.
Happy May Day to all the workers of Saint Lucia.
I thank you.
END.
BREAD * JUSTICE * FREEDOM