Dear Editor,
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has advised that Emancipation Day, which falls on a Saturday this year, will be celebrated on that day and not on the following Monday as obtained in May when National Labour Day fell on a Saturday but was celebrated the following Monday.
Whereas the schedule in the Holidays (Public General) Act of 1895, last amended in 1999, specifically provides that National Labour Day shall be celebrated on the following Monday if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it states that New Year's Day, Emancipation Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day shall be celebrated on the day of the week on which they fall, unless those holidays fall on a Sunday, in which case they are celebrated the following Monday.
In the schedule, Boxing Day should be celebrated on December 26, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls, except for when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday and is celebrated the following Monday, the 26th, Boxing Day would then move to the 27th.
The Act should be amended to provide simply that any public holiday falling on a Saturday should be celebrated the preceding Friday, and any falling on a Sunday should be celebrated the following Monday, or provide for any falling on a Saturday or Sunday to be celebrated on the following Monday. National Labour Day should not be given any special treatment in that regard.
Moreover, as is the case with National Heroes' Day, which is celebrated the third Monday in October, National Labour Day should be celebrated on the third Monday in May.
Emancipation Day should be moved to the day preceding Independence Day and not fixed for August 1. This way we would tidy things up and have a back-to-back holiday celebration as obtained with Good Friday and Easter Monday and with Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It should be noted that not all territories or countries in the Caribbean as former British colonies celebrate Emancipation Day on August 1. Antigua, Anguilla, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and the British Virgin Islands celebrate Emancipation as the first Monday in August. Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Easter Monday, as the names suggest, are celebrated on fixed weekdays and would therefore not be affected by the amendments.
These proposed amendments would not only simplify the rules governing holiday observations, but would also serve to avoid some disruptions of business operations. They would also give employees actual traditional workdays as holidays, and not a Saturday, which traditionally forms part of the weekend when most people, even with the advent of flexi-workweek, would usually be off work.
Kevin KO Sangster
sangstek@msn.com
Streamline holidays
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The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has advised that Emancipation Day, which falls on a Saturday this year, will be celebrated on that day and not on the following Monday as obtained in May when National Labour Day fell on a Saturday but was celebrated the following Monday.
Whereas the schedule in the Holidays (Public General) Act of 1895, last amended in 1999, specifically provides that National Labour Day shall be celebrated on the following Monday if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it states that New Year's Day, Emancipation Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day shall be celebrated on the day of the week on which they fall, unless those holidays fall on a Sunday, in which case they are celebrated the following Monday.
In the schedule, Boxing Day should be celebrated on December 26, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls, except for when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday and is celebrated the following Monday, the 26th, Boxing Day would then move to the 27th.
The Act should be amended to provide simply that any public holiday falling on a Saturday should be celebrated the preceding Friday, and any falling on a Sunday should be celebrated the following Monday, or provide for any falling on a Saturday or Sunday to be celebrated on the following Monday. National Labour Day should not be given any special treatment in that regard.
Moreover, as is the case with National Heroes' Day, which is celebrated the third Monday in October, National Labour Day should be celebrated on the third Monday in May.
Emancipation Day should be moved to the day preceding Independence Day and not fixed for August 1. This way we would tidy things up and have a back-to-back holiday celebration as obtained with Good Friday and Easter Monday and with Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It should be noted that not all territories or countries in the Caribbean as former British colonies celebrate Emancipation Day on August 1. Antigua, Anguilla, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and the British Virgin Islands celebrate Emancipation as the first Monday in August. Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Easter Monday, as the names suggest, are celebrated on fixed weekdays and would therefore not be affected by the amendments.
These proposed amendments would not only simplify the rules governing holiday observations, but would also serve to avoid some disruptions of business operations. They would also give employees actual traditional workdays as holidays, and not a Saturday, which traditionally forms part of the weekend when most people, even with the advent of flexi-workweek, would usually be off work.
Kevin KO Sangster
sangstek@msn.com
Streamline holidays
-->