Executives of the Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAWU) have reviewed the impacts of COVID-19 on the Dominican workforce and the lessons the government should learn from the pandemic situation. With 14 of the 16 coronavirus cases on the island treated and discharged, the WAWU excos said it is time to review the impacts and lessons of the pandemic.
WAWU’s secretary-treasurer, Kertiste Augustus, said one of the most outstanding impacts of COVID-19 is the loss of jobs for many members of the workforce. He said hundreds of dedicated workers have been laid off and others forced to collect half-salaries, while others have been forced to proceed on vacations as a result of the biting challenges of the pandemic on businesses around the country.
The experience of the impact of COVID-19 on employment can be witnessed in the layoff of staff as a result of the lockdown instituted by the government. Another impact is the reduction of working hours by employers with the corresponding reduction in wages and salaries of workers and the forced use of vacation leave by employers to offset the period of closure determined by them.
Kertiste Augustus: WAWU’s Secretary-Treasurer
Augustus said the government and the entire nation must evaluate the challenges of the pandemic and the responses extended to them. He said everyone must review where they fell short and determine the strategy for the future which should include new labour agreements and provisions for future pandemics.
WAWU’s Leah Shillingford also noted that in the light of the May 4 May Day celebrations, all frontline workers who risked their lives to save coronavirus patients or did one thing or another toward arresting the spread of the disease should be commended and recognized by the government.
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