“Every year they work for 11 months… to avoid them becoming permanent, they have to take one month off. That has come to an end,” said Minister Joachim Henry, as over 600 elder care workers under the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund are officially made permanent employees.
More than 600 individuals employed under the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund’s elder care program have officially been made permanent workers, ending years of uncertainty tied to temporary contracts.
Minister for Equity, Social Justice, and Empowerment Joachim Henry, made the announcement at a press briefing, emphasising that the change fulfills a commitment previously outlined by the Prime Minister.
“On Thursday (October 2) this week, consistent with what the honorable Prime Minister indicated, that persons who are temporarily employed would be made permanent,” Henry said.
For years, elder care employees were hired on 11-month contracts, forced to take a one-month break each year to avoid being classified as permanent workers. According to Henry, “every year [they] work for 11 months because they are temporary workers, and to avoid them becoming permanent, they have to take one month off. That has come to an end.”
The Minister highlighted the difficulties faced by workers under the old system. He pointed out that employees often struggled to manage financial obligations when faced with a gap in income. “If you are paying something at courts on higher purchase, it’s difficult to conceptualise that next month, you will not be getting a salary,” he explained.
Accessing credit was also out of reach, as “going to the credit union to get a loan… was impossible because they cannot meet the monthly payment.”
In addition to securing permanent status, workers will also benefit from improved conditions. Henry noted that employees will now receive government support for uniforms and medical checks.
“They would be receiving an allocation, so yearly they would be medically checked so that they can continue to provide the services in caring for our senior citizens,” he confirmed.
