Time foh SVG public servants wake up

Ah Christmas Gift as simple as ah Card or ah piece ah Jewelry or better still ah good piece ah money could be ah very powerful agent in bringing about change in ah relationship. Deys no better Christmas Gift foh ah worker dan ah hefty Bonus on his/her salary. Yes Christmas Bonus is spreading like wild fire among regional Governments and beyond de twin island state of St Kitts Nevis has been out front in paying its Public Servants an extra month’s salary at Christmas.

Newcomer Cayman Islands is among de list as Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly in her inaugural speech announced a one-time $1,500 bonus payment for dedicated public servants plus an increase in pension payments. Guyana, also ah newcomer is talking Big Bucks $1.7 billion Guyana Currency voted foh 67, 000 public servants. And another 72, 000 pensioners will receive GYD $1.8 billion. Remember to say ah prayer foh Guyana and Venezuela.

Still on Bonus. De Grenada Government led by 45-year-ole Dickon Mitchell has announced that all public officers, regardless of their classification within the public service in Grenada, will receive an ex gratia payment or a Christmas bonus of 25% of their basic salary.

But de Governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados will not be paying bonuses or making salary advances to public sector workers this Christmas Season. Miss Me-Yah dat brokes?

Bonus is also ah big thing foh Christmas in Latin and South America. Lie-Za forwarded me a clipping she read. “Bonus requirements in Latin and South America. Among the world’s major geographic regions, 13th month bonuses are most frequently required by law in Latin and South America. Fourteenth month bonuses are also required in a few select countries.”

De Cat ‘n Mouse Game

Lie-Za asking me questions like when was de last time dey was ah Salaries Revision in SVG for Public Servants. How comfortable does our Prime Minister feel at Conferences when topics like: which member country has (i) de lowest paid salary structure,(ii) de highest murder rate per one hundred thousand population. (iii) de fastest dying population; iv) the poorest country in de Caribbean.(v) Why is it beginning to look like de Criminals playing de ole “Cat and Mouse” game, when de Cat is away de Rats come out to dingolay!

Ah hearing nice Christmas parang

Christ Mas is my time of year. In particular ah love de Christmas music that seems to be getting better year after year. Is nostalgic hearing de golden voice of Caldric Forbes, one of Vincy’s treasured lead vocalist of de 1960’s, he’s back and singing ah new Genre, Vincy Parang: “It Feels Like Christmas!” Caldric would have sung from Classics to Calypso, when Parang Music was no way around in SVG. Doh trust my poor judgement when come to Parang, but dis one foh Caldric is going to be high on de charts of Vincy Parang.

CP has it

Like mouth open and Vincy Parang Music jump out. Carlton “CP” Hall undoubtedly our leading Vincy Paranderos has released his 2023 Christmas Gift. “CP” has not bin on de Nine Morning Stage since de Pre-Pandemic, deliberately he says. But he sent me ah copy of “ Ole People Christmas Party” ah slowish Parang, foh people like me who got Arth-leftis and cant dance fast tunes; and den ah few days after he sent me “Pan For De Christmas” dat is ah Gem.

Lennox Bowman looking foh ah cuss-out wid his sone dis year :”De Money Cant buy dat!” But is all about Christmas so let de Parang begin. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.