ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, July 19, 2013 – LIAT wishes to advise its customers travelling to/from Guyana that the following flights have been cancelled until further notice:

·         LI 773 – Barbados/Guyana

·         LI 774 – Guyana/Barbados

Passengers booked to travel on these services are asked call their local LIAT office or the LIAT Call Centre from Antigua – 1-268-480-5582; toll free from the rest of the Caribbean – 1-888-844-5428 and from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands – 1-866-549-5428 for information on the status of their flights.

LIAT regrets any inconvenience caused as a result of these cancellations.

A LIAT aircraft

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is providing loans totalling USD$65 million to four shareholder governments of regional airline LIAT – Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica – to assist with the purchase of aircraft in the context of a Fleet Modernisation Project.

The loan agreements provide for the loans to be on-lent to, and repaid by, LIAT over a 13-year period following a grace period of two years. Co-financing for the project is being provided by shareholder equity contributions and from the sale of LIAT’s existing aircraft.

The loans were approved by the bank’s board of directors during a meeting at its headquarters in Barbados on July 18, 2013.

The Fleet Modernisation Project involves the replacement of LIAT’s aging fleet through a combination of lease and purchase of aircraft; the transition costs associated with the changeover; the upgrade of maintenance facilities; and other institutional strengthening activities.

The project provides LIAT with the most cost-effective means of improving the reliability of its service and consequently its contribution to the socio-economic development of the region. It will have significant impact on the operational efficiency and financial performance of the airline. Realisation of these results will require the involvement of all stakeholders.

Reliable and efficient air transportation is essential for connectivity, mobility and accessibility within the region, and for some of CDB’s borrowing members, LIAT provides the only air links with the rest of the region. This project is consistent with CDB’s strategic objective of supporting regional cooperation and integration and contributes to CDB’s overall mandate of reducing poverty in the region through social and economic development.

The National Workers Union (NWU) said it has given the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) an ultimatum to either provide work-related information to facilitate its industrial exercises or accept the consequences.

In a press release, the NWU said the NIC has repeatedly refused to willingly provide the union with information regarding to workers.

According to the union, “information previously requested by the NWU to enable the union to meaningfully participate in an exercise, had to reach the department of labour before the NIC complied with the union’s request”.

It further stated that the union further sought information relating to workers’ length of service, qualifications and present salary but “management has bluntly refused to accede to the union’s request. All of the requested information is of importance so that the union could fully prepare to make a meaningful contribution to a reclassification exercise”.

The NWU said it has made another “official request” to the director of the insurance company, Matthew Mathurin, through a letter dated July 19, 2013.

“The letter went on to state that should the NIC vow to maintain its anti-worker anti-union position, the NIC would have to accept all industrial consequences,” the release said.

Sammy, BMW brand ambassador, with the Convertible.

St. Lucian cricketer Darren Sammy has made history.

He has been appointed BMW brand ambassador, the first sports personality from the Caribbean to be given this prestigious honour. BMW, through its  local agency Ultimate Automobiles, chose Sammy to represent the brand.

Managing Director of Ultimate Automobiles Mario Reyes said the development has made him an extremely proud St. Lucian.

“Darren Sammy is the first West Indian to ever be appointed on behalf of the BMW Group as a brand ambassador outside Germany. Typically sportsmen like golfers Bernhard Langer and Martin Kaymar and rugby’s Alex Cordisio have been endorsed as brand ambassadors for BMW,” Reyes said.

At a short ceremony, during which the keys were handed over to Sammy, Reyes said that “when somebody drives a BMW, they are confident in what they are doing and Sammy exudes confidence when he represents the West Indies cricket team and the region”.

Ultimate Automobiles then presented Sammy with the keys to a brand new BMW Series ONE convertible to be used at his leisure for the next two years. Reyes said it’s an honour that is given to a sports personality, not just based on ability but on deportment and leadership abilities.

Sammy accepted the honour with humility.

“I am truly honoured and probably I don’t have the words to express my gratitude to you. I vow to associate myself with what the brand means. They say it’s the ultimate vehicle; I want to be the ultimate man when I go out there on the cricket field. I am very, very proud to associate myself with this brand,” said the West Indian cricketer.

Sammy last week played his 100th One Day International for the West Indies and last year captained the West Indies to its first ICC T20 tournament win.

Reyes said this significant achievement ought to inspire St. Lucian athletes to work hard, be professional and represent their country with honour and integrity. He also called on the private sector to support local athletes in their quest to fly the national flag regionally and internationally.

BMW was a major sponsor of the ICC cricket tournament which was hosted in the Caribbean a few years ago and has had a strong association internationally with golf and sailing.

The National Workers Union (NWU) and the management of St. Lucia Marine Terminals Ltd. (SLMT) signed another industrial agreement.

Clerical, engineering and technical workers employed with the company’s port operations in Vieux Fort will benefit from the provisions of the new industrial contract.

SLMT and the NWU have been engaged for several months in a reclassification exercise that established suitable wage scales and job slotting. The company and the union agreed that the reclassification of which length of service, experience, qualification and existing salaries were the major factors, resulted in the parties reaching a compromise on an eight percent general wage increase. That increase will be distributed (as 2%, 3%, 3%) over a three-year period. A back pay will also be paid.

An upward revision of 10 areas that impact on conditions of employment was realized.

A general meeting is being planned for the workers at which more information relating to the new collective labour contract will be explained.

A meeting between Managing Director of Windward & Leeward Brewery Gregg Graves and President General of the National Workers Union (NWU) Tyrone Maynard has signaled an end to the industrial impasse between the parties.

According to a press release, the NWU said it made it abundantly clear that it was not challenging the company’s decision but rather the manner in which the company’s decision was being executed.

The dispute stemmed from the layoff of two employees due to what the company described as a decrease in sales revenue.

Employees at the brewery had taken industrial action in protest of the redundancies of the two seasoned workers. They staged a silent protest outside the company premises in two Fridays ago.

The NWU, in today’s press release, stated that  “the parties have agreed to a resumption of normal operations, that the two employees would now receive an enhanced compensation package to be agreed upon by the parties, and the parties will meet on Thursday, July 25, 2013 to initiate dialogue on other outstanding cost cutting proposals”.

The NWU held a general meeting for all employees during which the workers accepted the conclusion of the matter, the release stated.

The National Insurance Corporation (NIC) is clarifying the issues surrounding its position on the current industrial unrest being experienced within the organization.

The NIC, in keeping with good management practice, conducted a reclassification exercise which was completed last year, the aim of which was to upgrade its job classification plan.

Job classification is the process whereby jobs are placed in a rank order according to stated criteria and provides a basis for a fair and orderly grading structure.

While the NIC is aware that reclassification is a management right and not that of a union, in a true spirit of partnership, it engaged the union throughout the process – providing it the opportunity to comment on the Terms of Reference, the consultant selected (who in turn engaged the union in the consultation process), and the reclassification report. The feedback from the union was incorporated into the final report approved by the NIC board of directors.

As the NIC prepares to implement the reclassification exercise, the union has continued to disregard the rights of management as contained in the collective agreement between the parties. At this late stage, the union is seeking to introduce non-compensable factors, such as “length of service”, which is not considered in a reclassification exercise.

In June, an agreement to end the impasse was reached at the office of the Labour Commissioner which the union reneged on a few days later, demanding that NIC issue the private and personal information of staff without the written permission of the staff.

To accede to this demand would be a violation of the NIC’s responsibility as regards confidentiality of staff information and would set an undesirable precedent, with respect to confidentiality of employment records and data protection.

The NIC’s position is that authorization should be given by an employee, before employment records considered to be confidential data, can be disclosed to a third party. An offer by the NIC on June 11 to provide any information the union required if the staff provide written consent was rejected by the union. The offer was repeated on July 18, and was again rejected by the union.

NIC has always treated its workers fairly and the Consultant’s report clearly identified NIC as a market leader on compensation locally and among the national insurance bodies throughout the region, with respect to the bargaining unit.

NIC respects the rights of the Union to bargain collectively on behalf of the staff in the bargaining unit and to represent the staff when aggrieved. However the NIC cannot allow the NWU to compromise management’s right in respect of the NIC’s workforce or to violate its duty to safeguard the private and personal information of its staff.

As St. Lucia prepares to conclude the hosting of the third and final One Day International (ODI) match between the West Indies and Pakistan on Wednesday July 24, 2013, at the Beausejour Cricket Grounds, Digicel the ‘Be Extraordinary’ network has again thrilled cricket fans and sports enthusiasts with a rare and delightful opportunity to get up-close and personal with several of their cricketing heroes.

On Saturday July 20th, Digicel’s Chisel Street store in downtown Castries was abuzz with activity as dozens of eager and devoted cricket fans were bowled over with joy and excitement, as they dialogued and mingled with West Indies Captain Darren Sammy; himself a Digicel endorsed Sports Ambassador and team colleagues Tino Best, Devon Smith, Marlon and Johnson Charles.

To the delight of cheering fans, the West Indies players signed autograph photos of themselves, clothing items, caps, bags, books and literally anything fans could get their hands on.

“We know that nothing unites the people of the region like cricket and therefore putting ordinary fans in close personal contact with their cherished extraordinary sporting heroes like Darren Sammy, Marlon and Johnson Charles and the rest of the West Indies team members who were at the store with the Digicel family, is a dream come true for many fans,” says Digicel Marketing Manager Kerchelle Jn Charles.

Commenting on the willingness of the West Indies players to be part of the highly successful activity, Jn Charles says, “As a corporate sponsor it is one thing to make a request of the partners you collaborate with, but the sheer willingness on the part of the West Indies players to want to meet and engage their fan base was truly noteworthy.”

Last month Digicel announced that it was extending its sponsorship of the West Indies cricket team for another three years until September 2016. Digicel’s renewed contract sees the company retaining its title as team sponsor, which includes all the marketing and branding rights for the team.

Meantime, the telecommunications giant has also been announced as top sponsor for the fast approaching Caribbean Premiere League Twenty/20 Cricket competition. Dubbed ‘The biggest party in sports,’ the upcoming tournament has been generating much excitement and will bowl off on July 30 – August 24. Six franchise teams will battle for bragging rights as matches play in Barbados, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

Matches in St. Lucia will take place on August 6, 8 and 10 at the Beausejour Cricket Ground (BGC). The team based here on St. Lucia has chosen the name St. Lucia Zouks and is captained by Darren Sammy.

Several cricket fans who attended the Saturday meet and greet activity with the West Indies players had added reasons to celebrate, as Digicel provided them an opportunity to dip to win tickets to the CPL matches when they topped up.

A catchy and upbeat ‘St. Lucia-Zouks’ theme song sang by soca artiste Sir Lance A-lot has been released ahead of the start of the regional competition.

Hewanorra International Airport. * SLASPA photo

Local advocacy group United Pac has reiterated its call for an independent inquiry into the decision by the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority (SLASPA) to grant a contract to build a private jet operating facility at the Hewanorra Airport.

The group in a press release said that its previous media statement issued on June 17, 2013 which called for the review, has gone unanswered.

The group had asked that the ministers of finance and infrastructure conduct a review of the processes leading to SLASPA’s granting of the contract to an association comprising four firms namely, L-Caribbean, Herzog, Metro Caribbean and a US-based fixed-based operator (FBO).

United Pac had based its request on what it said were “grave” concerns communicated by bidders and fears that there may have been conflict of interest issues which could have compromised the bidding and selection process.

The group had also called for details on the criteria used to award scores to the successful bidder and accused the chosen company of being the least experienced of all bidders.

United Pac had further requested that the ministers reveal the composition of the review panel which awarded the contract “especially given reports that there were no persons with related technical competence on the panel”.

In a statement on July 23, 2013 United Pac said that it “is therefore obligated to once again call on minister of finance and the minister of infrastructure to bring clarity to this worrying situation which threatens to undermine the integrity of SLASPA. Failure to respond, we will be left with no choice but to shine the light on the dark hole of decision-making surrounding this matter”.

The group further stated, “United Pac is of the view that this matter is significant and requires some measure of clarification and accountability by the management of SLASPA and those who have been entrusted with upholding the integrity of the system of governance in our Country. These authorities both in SLASPA and the government of St Lucia are obligated therefore to explain decisions made within entities under their jurisdiction when worrying questions are raised and respond to major concerns of the proportion raised in our June 17th Press Statement.”

The group said it hopes that the ‘fresh call’ will attract the attention of those concerned and further stated, “we are curious as to reasons why a press release from SLASPA in response to our June 17th Press Statement was hurriedly recalled by that entity.”

The Comman Entrance top three placing students with their new laptops presented to them by Digicel

St. Lucia’s leading telecommunications provider Digicel is again proving to ‘Be Extraordinary’ as the network on Monday, July 22, 2013 rewarded top performers at the just concluded Common Entrance Examinations.

Known for offering St. Lucian society the best in service, best value and best network reliability, Digicel gave the nation’s best young minds free state-of-the-art laptop computers and a commitment of cash support to assist them along their educational journey.

Among the extraordinary students who received computers was 11-year-old Nysa Pierre of the Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary School. Nysa, described as a studious, confident and hardworking student by her teachers, topped this year’s Common Entrance examination with an impressive score of 98 percent.

Her fellow Dame Peralette Louisy Primary School mate Matilda Angeloni who came in second with a score of 96.67 percent, also benefitted from Digicel’s Student Reward Initiative receiving a computer as well. Both students will pursue their secondary school education at St. Joseph’s Convent, an institution renowned for being among the top performing schools in the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) exams.

Digicel endorsee Darvin Edwards happy to reward one of the students who did exceptional at the Comman Entrance Examinations.

The two top performers were presented with their prizes by Digicel endorsee and Sports Ambassador Darren Sammy. Three other students who tied for third place at this year’s Common Entrance Examination, namely: Pavana Dalsou from the Tapion Private School, Raeyne Fontenelle from the Bonne Terre Preparatory and Neysa Francis of the Ave Maria Girls Primary, also received Sony Viyo computers and cash scholarships for the new academic year.

They were presented with their prizes by Digicel endorsees, high jumper Darvin Edwards and musicians Keitje Greaves and Yannick James.

At the presentation ceremony on Monday, Digicel’s Marketing Executive Sergin John-Baptiste noted: “As an extraordinary company, Digicel found great ease in associating with these top Common Entrance achievers, who through their exemplary discipline, studiousness and pure hard work have distinguished themselves and the institutions they attended.”

According to her, “the highly commendable achievements of these students, who come from primary schools across the length and breadth of St. Lucia, have not only won them the praise and admiration of their peers, but also their teachers, parents and indeed all of St. Lucia.”

“In today’s technology-driven world,” noted John-Baptiste, “the computer as a prime educational tool will benefit students both in and out of the classroom.”

The cash scholarships, she says, will also assist in either helping to offset tuition fees or for the purchase of other vital educational supplies.

Two thousand, six hundred and fifty-seven students sat the exams and will be assigned to 23 secondary schools island wide.

Digicel proudly congratulates the top performers and extends best wishes to all of the students who sat the June 20 Common Entrance examinations as they now get set to pursue their secondary school education.

While in agreement with the prime minister’s recent call for a radical change in the country’s industrial relations, the National Workers Union has said that this transformation should start with the “immediate rescue” of the Labour Department which is “almost on the brink of collapse”.

In a press release, the NWU said that the department “is presently deeply rooted in factions, has no leadership with the capacity to chart the way forward and demonstrate the will to discharge its responsibilities and obligations in keeping with an up-to-date and well operated government labour unit”.

The NWU said that a “strong and purposeful” labour minister, with a full support staff and the best technical and industrial relations talent in the public service, are what should be installed for effective industrial relations in St. Lucia.

“There are scores of industrial issues currently before the Department of Labour without any result in sight. We need to move quickly to save some of the good that is left and rid the Department of Labour of its dead weight,” the NWU said.

“A radical change must be so structured to provide department of labour officials with opportunities for training in negotiations, conciliation, mediation and arbitration processes,” the union said.

Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony made a call for the transformation of the sector while addressing public servants at a conference recently.

Brunton

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LIAT Mr. Ian Brunton says the company is taking urgent and decisive steps to address a series of challenges which have resulted in numerous flight delays and cancellations over the past few weeks.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mr. Brunton apologised for the inconvenience caused to the airline’s customers and assured those currently being affected that every effort is being made to get them to their various destinations safely and as quickly as possible.

He said LIAT is implementing both short and long-term fixes to alleviate the problems which have resulted in a severe strain on the airline’s operations.

“The disruptions being faced by LIAT at this time are caused by a combination of factors. These include, among other things, an increase in unscheduled maintenance at a time when our schedule calls for maximum aircraft availability; crew shortages; bad weather; airport limitations; and delays in obtaining licences for operating our new ATR aircraft in some territories,” Mr. Brunton explained.

“As a result of Tropical Storm Chantal we were forced to cancel 30 flights on July 9. Additionally, strong surface winds have been affecting our flights into and out of St. Vincent while unfavourable weather conditions have affected flights to and from Dominica.

“Airport limitations such as early closure of the V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua due to runway works, the late opening of the airport in Guadeloupe, and runway lights not working at the airport in St. Kitts, have all helped to contribute to the current disruptive situation in our operation,” Mr. Brunton added.

The months of July and August are usually two of the busiest for LIAT with high volumes of vacationers and other people making trips during the summer but Mr. Brunton said due to the current challenges the airline has been unable to transport several customers to their various destinations in a timely manner.

“In light of the current challenges, I would like to appeal to our customers for their continued patience and understanding and assure you that we are doing all we can to return to normalcy in the shortest possible time,” Mr. Brunton said.

Mr. Brunton also expressed heartfelt thanks to staff throughout the LIAT network who have come under tremendous pressure in recent times, especially those employees on the frontline who have been faced with the challenges of handling the disruptions.

The management of the Voice Publishing Company Ltd and representatives of the National Workers Union have satisfactorily completed negotiations.

The company and the NWU agreed to temporarily shelve a reclassification, slotting and adjustments exercise for a period of one year.

The media plant employees will now enjoy a nine percent general wage increase with three paid each year over three years. Transportation, meal and medical concessions will be upgraded in keeping with the competition.

The new industrial agreement will be signed shortly.

Meanwhile, the NWU is making every effort to complete negotiations with HTS.

LIME GM Chris Williams and George Theophilus flank Sister Olivia Oculien of the Marian Home.

Two of Saint Lucia’s iconic institutions have received support from LIME this week, in collaboration with George Theophilus, the cover subject of the telecommunications company’s 2013 Services Directory.

The two institutions, both of which cater to the needs of the elderly, are the Marian Home and the Adelaide & Frances Memorial Home. Chris Williams, general manager of LIME Saint Lucia, visited the two east Castries homes along with Theophilus on Wednesday of this week to make cheque presentations to the respective administrators.

LIME has been a consistent supporter of the elderly, having made similar presentations last year to St. Joseph’s Villa and the St Lucy’s Home, as well as doing work at Comfort Bay in Laborie and providing previous financial assistance to the Marian Home.

On this occasion, the presentations were made on Theophilus’ behalf to two of his favourite charities. Theophilus is a pioneer in the field of finance in Saint Lucia. Among his many achievements in that sphere is his creation of Financial Investment & Consultancy Services Ltd (FICS).

LIME GM Chris Williams presents to Adelaide & Frances Memorial Home founder and director. Augustus Justin whilst Mr Theophilus looks on

“We at LIME are delighted that we are able to contribute to these two fine institutions, both of which do such valuable work in our community,” said Williams. “It is timely that we take a step back and recognise and pay tribute to those who have truly stood by us through the years. As a nation we must care for our elderly, those who have paved the way for us, and to whom we owe such a great debt. The donation that we are making shows the esteem in which we hold our forebears and we are proud to stand with Mr Theophilus to support these organisations.”

Marian Home was represented by Sister Olivia Oculien, whilst founder and director Augustus Justin received the cheque on behalf of the Adelaide & Frances Memorial Home.

Sauce Kon winners and organisers with Terry Finisterre from LIME

Scores of the island’s top players were represented at the recent SauceKon: Ascension gaming tournament, and the island’s top telecommunications player, LIME, was one of the main contributors to the event’s success.

Organised by the Gamer Vibe 2.0 team, which hosts a weekly gaming, entertainment and technology show on Choice TV 39, Ascension saw participants competing in four games for cash, prizes, the opportunity to be named national champions and the chance to earn a trip to the Video X Games in St Maarten. The local tournament was held at Scouts Headquarters in Gros Islet.

LIME provided the gamers with a wireless local local area network to afford them to opportunity to network their computers and enjoy greater speed. Four gamers also won Samsung Galaxy Young handsets, equipped with an Android operating system and capable of accessing high-speed data via the LIME 4G mobile network.

Team Saint Lucia set for Video X Games St Maarten!

These were presented to the winners along with the Gamer Vibe 2.0 team just prior to their departure for St Maarten earlier this week. The six-member team representing the Saint Lucian gaming community was also furnished with LIME 4G t-shirts in national colours.

Competitors in the Ascension tournament took part in sports and fighting games, including FIFA 2013, Injustice, Street Fighter 4 and Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.

Sheldon Montoute was a double winner, the Supreme Champion in Street Fighter and MVC3. Bradley Bailey, Supreme Champion of Injustice, also took second place in Street Fighter and third in MVC3. Zeger won FIFA 2013, with Chantz in second place. The man known only as Gyal Dem was second in MVC3 and third in Injustice.

E-Sports is one of the fastest-growing niches in technology, and the Gamer Vibe 2.0 team is hoping to bring an international tournament to Saint Lucia within the next 12 months.

LIME Corporate Communications Executive Terry Finisterre says this is an exciting development.

“Some research suggests that the video game industry now surpasses both the movie and music industry by audience as the leading form of entertainment in the world,” he says. “As Saint Lucia and the Caribbean’s technology leader, we look forward to seeing what great things these young men can achieve and we are proud that we can help them literally raise their game.”

LIME GM Chris Williams

Hot on the heels of launching 4G mobile data, LIME has unveiled a raft of handset specials and low-cost data plans to enable customers to take full advantage of Saint Lucia’s fastest mobile network.

The centrepiece of the offerings is the Samsung Galaxy S3, which is available to new and existing prepaid and postpaid customers for just $1,399. Similar discounts have been applied to the BlackBerry 9790, BlackBerry Z10 and iPhone 5.

Postpaid customers subscribing to a Talk-Text-Data plan starting from as low as $28.75 a month can pay for the phone of their choice over a period of two months.

LIME has also introduced two attractively priced Android-powered handsets to encourage more customers to get on the island’s fastest network, with the addition of the Alcatel T’Pop for just $299 and the Samsung Galaxy Young for as low as $399.

Prepaid customers subscribing to any LIME Double Data packages get twice the amount of data that they paid for. To start enjoying this special offer customers can simply dial *129# or just dial the direct code for the desired data package.

“In support of our launch of 4G, we are pulling out all the stops in order to give our customers the opportunity to get onto Saint Lucia’s fastest mobile data network with the widest range of handsets and the latest brand-name smartphones. Our ability to offer such low-cost specials along with huge handset discounts and a flat mobile rate of just 60 cents a minute – the best rate in Saint Lucia – simply proves that you will always be better off with LIME and Saint Lucia’s superfast mobile network,” said LIME Saint Lucia General Manager, Chris Williams.

Canaries Carnival was a blast with LIME!

LIME has congratulated the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun carnival band and the Canaries community on the staging of a spectacular carnival celebration this year.

Mas in Canaries reached fever pitch on Sunday, 21 July, when revellers of all ages from the village hit the streets to jump up in the parade of the bands. The jump-up was preceded by the Canaries Wet Fete on July 6, which from all reports was a big hit. It was held at the Canaries Multi-purpose Court.

LIME provided the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun carnival band with sponsorship support as part of its ongoing commitment to help bring the joys of carnival to communities around the island.

“We wish to commend Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and all the other participants, as well as the Canaries Carnival Committee for organizing such a successful carnival. It’s hard work to put on these events, but it’s really worth it when people turn out and enjoy themselves. LIME was very proud to be partnering with Canaries Spice for this year’s celebration,” said LIME Head of Marketing & Communications, Laurencia Cadette.

The members of the band expressed their appreciation for LIME’s support.

This year LIME sponsored seven carnival bands, including Rituals, Toxik, Just 4 Fun, Mas Action. Outkast and Meltdown of Vieux Fort, as well as South, Ambassadors and Soca Village calypso tents and Outrageous Sexy in Black organised by the Wave.

LIME-sponsored band Girls Just Wanna Have Fun doing their thing for Canaries Carnival

Digicel’s Sergin John-Baptiste at the Phinehill Funwalk press launch with Phinehill Brand Manager Dahlia Guard.

Digicel and Peter & Company are set to produce the healthiest and most fun-filled event in the history of St. Lucia – the highly anticipated Pinehill Fun Walk.

As platinum sponsor of the 14th staging of the Pinehill Funwalk, Digicel is looking forward to an extraordinary turn-out from St. Lucians from all walks of life for this year’s event.

Pinehill funwalk is traditionally a highly participatory affair supported by thousands of St. Lucians, both young and old. The focus of the venture is raising awareness of the public to the importance of health living and exercise done in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Organisers are using a route that incorporates fun and somewhat of a challenge to participants. Those registered will trek from the Vigie Playing Field in Castries to the Pigeon Island National Landmark via the Gros Islet Highway.

There are over 50 prizes to be won including the grand prize of a trip for two to London complements Virgin Atlantic. Digicel is providing customers a wonderful opportunity to win a high-end handset coupled with a weekend for two at one of the inland’s leading resorts Windjammer Landing. Customers simply have to text the word “Pinehill” to the short code “XXXX” to win.

A Health Fair will greet all who cross the finishing line at the Pigeon Island National Landmark as a host of local spas, gyms and wellness associations will exhibit their expertise and also give participants an opportunity to ask questions, gain healthy lifestyle tips and sample healthy products. This year will see the introduction of “Health is Wealth” a male and female push-up competition.

According to Kerchelle Jn Charles, marketing manager for Digicel St. Lucia, “The Pinehill funwalk marks Digicel’s continued commitment to supporting Health and Fitness activities on St. Lucia. Being unhealthy or unfit will only curtail one’s ability to do extraordinary things. While Digicel continues to deliver great value to all customers, it is also our social corporate responsibility to ensure that the health and wellness of customers remains paramount. Our support for initiatives like these demonstrates our resolve to engendering a positive mental attitude, backed by a way of life, which lends itself to proper health and wellness.”

The Pinehill funwalk will be held on August 18 and commence at 6:30 am. Digicel encourages all to go out in large numbers and support this worthwhile venture. Admission is $20, $15 if you sign up with your company.

Registration can be done at Peter and Company Cul De Sac, Wet and Cold Express on Mongiraud Street and Radio Caribbean International in Sans Souci.

Start your healthy living today and register for this year’s Phinehill Funwalk.

Fishermen from Vieux Fort took protest action on June 7, 2013 after not been paid for about three months.

After months of unrest within the fishing sector due to late payments from the Saint Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation, fishermen are now relieved with consistent payments being made.

According to General Manager of the Saint Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation, Vaughan Charles, the recent steady flow of payments to fishermen have kept their quarrels at bay. This has been made possible due to the injection of capital from the government and sales of $3.2 million worth of fish that had been in storage.

The system of payment that the Fish Marketing Corporation has devised with the Laborie Credit Union whereby fishermen are paid by the Union and later reimbursed by the Corporation is one that saw much success.

The general manager hopes to implement the system with other credit unions on island.

To date, the Saint Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation has eliminated its debt having made payments to fishermen in the sum of $1.4 million.

The National Workers Union (NWU) has completed the final stages of preparation to begin industrial negotiations with the management of St. Lucia Electricity Services Ltd. (LUCELEC).

One year ago, the NWU was granted official trade union recognition by the Ministry of Labour. That decision was as a result of a secret ballot poll among the company’s employees which the NWU won. The recognition certificate covered supervisors, section heads and grades 4-9 staff.

The NWU has since sent its Memorandum of Proposals to the company and expects the company to come up with an agreeable date for the commencement of negotiations.