A longstanding gap in the payment of ancillary workers within Saint Lucia’s education system has come to an end, with eligible cooks, janitors, cleaners and Early Childhood Development Centre workers receiving salaries during the August vacation period for the first time.
The policy change was formally marked during a ceremony at the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School on Thursday, bringing together workers and government officials.
The payments were announced earlier this month as part of a provision approved in the national budget.
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre said the measure addresses a situation in which ancillary employees historically went without an August salary, despite some being required to return to work to prepare for the reopening of schools.
“You worked your entire life, and those before you worked their entire life, cleaning as janitors, as cooks, as early childhood educators, and for the month of August they had to make a sacrifice,” Pierre said.
He acknowledged that the wages received by some of those employees do not fully reflect the importance of their work.
“We can never pay you enough for cleaning the washrooms, never,” Pierre told the gathering. “We’re not paying enough. We need to pay you more, but we can only pay you what a country can afford.”
The Prime Minister described the August payment as a policy decision taken by his administration and stressed that eligible employees would benefit regardless of their political affiliation.
“Everybody gets the salary,” he said. “When you vote is your business. But the very fact is you get your salary, and that’s what’s important.”
Education Minister Kenson Casimir said the development was particularly significant given the financial demands many families face ahead of the reopening of school.
Casimir, whose grandmother worked as a janitor for more than 30 years, said ancillary employees should be treated fairly for their contribution to the education sector.
“When you work in this country, you must be treated fairly,” he said.
The minister had previously indicated that the government intends for the August payments to continue, saying ancillary workers deserve to be compensated during the vacation period.
At Thursday’s ceremony, Casimir also outlined other measures being implemented ahead of the new academic year.
He said $500 bursaries have been paid to students entering secondary school, while laptops for Form One students are already on island and programmed for distribution during the first week of classes.
Government has also made funding available for the recruitment of 10 additional school counsellors and two social workers, according to Casimir.
Early Childhood Development Centres are expected to receive $3 000 each towards operational costs when the new school year begins, as well as an additional $100 per child.
Casimir also reported that close to 90 per cent of schools had received some form of attention under the summer works programme.
