ALL REQUESTS FOR WORK PERMITS MUST COMPLY WITH EXISTING LABOUR LAWS, SAYS PM HARRIS 

Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 11, 2022 (SKNIS): Every employer who wishes to employ any non-national worker in St. Kitts and Nevis must do so in accordance with the existing labour laws of the twin-island Federation, said Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.

“Before you can bring a foreigner or rather a non-national into the country to work you have to make an application to National Security. Among the things you are required to submit in support of the case is that you would have advertised the vacancy in the local jurisdictions at least, for three consecutive weeks,” said Prime Minister Harris at his first press conference for 2022, held at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Conference Room on Thursday, February 10.

Prime Minister Harris noted that entities will be held responsible once they don’t comply with the Federation’s existing labour laws. 

“We will hold strictly to that requirement to ensure that our residents and nationals here have a fair opportunity to benefit from any vacancies that may emerge in our twin-island space,” he said.

While Prime Minister Harris remains committed to ensuring that nationals be given a fair opportunity he is also encouraging persons to reach out and seek employment as work is available, as opposed to waiting at home for the perfect job.

“My message to young people, there is not a perfect job but there is a perfect opportunity to work. All the adults and parents who have children at home who don’t want that job, who don’t want to make a start, I am appealing to you to encourage them to do something, no matter how small, how lowly, honest work is good work and ought to be encouraged,” he said. “If they were to wait for the perfect job… they may remain in your house for a very long while,” Prime Minister Harris added.

He noted that it is best for young people to have some level of experience, engage in work and develop useful skills that can be meaningfully applied elsewhere until the perfect opportunity comes along.

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