Hon. Saboto Ceasar – Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour, attended the Annual Review meetings of the Canada-Caribbean Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme held from the 19th to 23rd of November in Barbados.
The meeting reaffirmed and reinforced collaboration between Ministries of Labour and the ECLS has been positively received by Canadians partners.
Ceasar said the OECS team included Hon. Stephenson King – Minister of Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour, St. Lucia, Hon. Vance Amory – Minister of Labour, St. Kitts and Nevis, Hon. Saboto Ceasar – Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Eastern Caribbean Liaison Service (ECLS), and members of the ECLS Technical Working Group.
Presentations were made by Government of Canada representatives, sending a reassuring signal of their commitments to strengthen the administration of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme.
Ceasar said, Provincial Farmers/Employer associations reiterated their satisfaction with workers coming from the Caribbean over the past 50 years, and offered assurances of the possibilities for a greater intake of workers.
Concurrently, all Caribbean Liaison Services pledged their continued efforts towards maintaining a supply of well prepared and experienced workers.
Further, pursuant to the OECS’ strategy to help alleviate unemployment in member states, the ECLS offered assurances of its commitment to improving the quality of worker welfare and employer relations during the work period in Canada.