As a follow-up to the Central Committee meeting last week, Commissioner Chris Johnson clarified his response to Saba Labour Party’s (SLP) Island Councilman Ishmael Levenston’s question on the “zero hour” contracts. Using the Dutch term “onderstand,” the Commissioner referred to the situation in the past when 40 people were on social welfare. He did not state that at that time the people were on zero hour contracts. He had compared that situation to the reduced current number of 13 such cases, “which has placed an increased need for government to offer employment,” explained the Commissioner, adding that this is what he meant by “the increased burden on government.” He also stated that there are “less than five zero-hour contracts right now for government, but there could be a need for an increase in these in the near future because of the vacuum created by the enforcement of stricter conditions to receive welfare.” The Commissioner wished to clarify the response to prevent a lengthy debate in the upcoming Island Council meeting based on a misinterpretation of his remarks.
Source: “The Daily Herald” 2012-06-26 (21)
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