The interests of youth in the society as well those for the elderly have always been uppermost in the minds of both the Antigua Trades and Labour Union and the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party.
That’s the view of President of the AT&LU, Bernard de Nully is his address to Tuesday’s wreath laying ceremony at the Bust of VC Bird that was held as part of the VC Bird Day festivities.
“Our leaders’ record of policy initiatives is proof of this claim which is deeply buried in the psyche of all leaders of the twin institutions which we love— the AT&LU and its daughter organization, the ABLP led by the Prime Minister Gaston
Browne,” de Nully stated.
According to de Nully there are four pieces of legislation which followed after several decades of agitation, caused a new Antigua and Barbuda to emerge.
“First, the 1967 Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda that caused all domestic decision-making to be transferred from London to St. John’s, ushered in a new era. It would allow the esteemed leader, Vere Cornwall Bird, to reverse 300 years of history. No longer would there be a requirement for a colonial Governor to give his assent to legislation adopted by the Parliament,” the AT&LU President explained.
De Nully identified the second piece of legislation which seeks to making life for the elderly more materially secure; it was the 1974 legislation which brought to life The Social Security System. (History shows that prior to losing the 1971 general elections, the ABLP had discussed introducing a similar scheme, however, it was the PLM Administration that introduced this scheme in 1974.)
The AT&LU President names the third important legislation as the 1978 Medical Benefits Scheme Act, adding that the scheme ensures that anyone who fell ill from a list of diseases would receive medical attention and medication virtually free of cost.
Finally, he singled out the Education Levy Act passed by the parliament in 1994 as the fourth transformative legislation. “This mandatory contribution to the education of our youth is now a model which has been proposed by multilateral institutions to developing countries globally. It is a special fund that goes towards purchasing textbooks, expanding the school plants, providing scholarships, grants and loans that enable acquisition of tertiary education,” he outlined.
