The Dominica Reform Party has spoken extensively about the unemployment situation in Dominica, but it is time we address another issue, one that is just as devastating, if not more pressing. That issue is the silent suffering of those who do have jobs. The fact is, many hardworking Dominicans wake up every morning, go to work, give their best, and still cannot afford to run a household where the bills are paid, food is consistently on the table, and children’s needs, like school fees, books, and uniforms, are taken care of. Where saving for emergencies has become a distant dream.
This government has failed the working class. And not by accident, but by choice, through neglect, bad policies, and a decade of empty promises and priorities that serve everyone but our average Dominican. Over the past ten years, Roosevelt Skerrit’s government has presided over an economy that punishes the poor for being poor and offers no reward for honest work. Wages have stagnated. The cost of living has skyrocketed. And while the ruling elite flaunt luxury cars, foreign shopping trips, and lavish events funded by our tax dollars, the average working Dominican can barely make it from one payday to the next.
It is time for the Dominica Reform Party to be brutally honest. Under this government, working has become its form of poverty. We now have teachers shaping the future of this country who can not afford to send their children to school. We have nurses saving lives who can not afford proper healthcare for their families. Police officers risk their lives daily, but are forced to quit or take side jobs just to survive. This is not just a crisis; it is a betrayal by Roosevelt Skerrit and his government.
And while this government boasts about building roads and stadiums, they have ignored the fact that many people are going to bed hungry in homes that are dark because the electricity has been cut. They speak of “development,” while the people who are supposedly being “developed” are being dragged deeper into despair. If this is development, it is development for the few at the expense of the many.
To add insult to injury, instead of empowering the people through decent wages, affordable housing, and support for small businesses, the government seems more focused on spectacle than substance, spending 14 million on foreign artists for festivals while local families are drowning in debt.
How long must we pretend that things are okay? How long must we applaud the illusion of progress while real people suffer in silence? The truth is, we cannot continue down this road. A government that does not prioritize the dignity and livelihood of its people has no moral right to ask for their vote. It is not just unemployment that is killing Dominica; it is the exploitation of the employed. It is the deliberate squeezing of the working class while the powerful grow fatter off the public purse.
To the people of Dominica, it is time we stop settling for survival. We deserve better. We deserve a government that understands that true development begins with our people, especially those who get up every morning and try to hold this country together. This is not a political point. It is a moral one.
The working class is not asking for handouts. We are asking for fairness. For respect. For leadership that works for us, not just during election season, but every single day. Because until that happens, no one in this country is truly free.
The Dominica Reform Party Is Not Here To Manage Poverty, We Are Here To End It!
For well over a decade, our people have worked hard only to stay stuck in the same cycle of struggle. Waking up early, putting in long hours, raising families with dignity, and yet, at the end of the month, there is barely enough to cover food, rent, electricity, or school fees. That is not just unfair, that is inhumane. And under this current administration, that has become the norm. The Dominica Reform Party says: No more. Here’s how we fix this:
Living Wages For Working People.
- A Living Wage shall be calculated annually by an independent Labour and Cost of Living Commission, based on housing, food, utilities, transportation, education, and healthcare costs in Dominica..
End To Nepotism And Waste.
- All public expenditures shall be subject to mandatory annual audits by an independent Auditor General, with full public disclosure and parliamentary oversight.
No more 14-million-dollar festivals while families can not pay their light bills. No more inflated contracts for political friends while hospitals are short of staff and supplies. That money will go back where it belongs, to our people.
- Conflict-of-interest and anti-nepotism laws will be strengthened with criminal penalties for violations.
Emergency Savings Fund Program.
- The Dominica Reform Party will launch a Community Rainy Day Savings Program that helps working families build financial security with matching contributions for emergency funds, because planning for the future should not be a privilege.
- Funding shall come from recovered waste, audit findings, and reallocation of non-essential discretionary spending.
Full-Time Employment Quota.
- All businesses with more than 5 employees must ensure that at least 60% of their workforce is full-time. This guarantees that the majority of workers receive steady wages, benefits, and protections.
- This requirement shall apply to non-seasonal businesses and shall be phased in over 6 months, with exemptions for agriculture, tourism seasonality, and verified hardship cases reviewed by the Labour Commissioner.
- This requirement shall apply to all businesses. Seasonal exemptions shall apply only to positions that are demonstrably seasonal in nature, not to entire businesses.
- Any employee who works substantially similar hours for more than six consecutive months in a year shall be presumed full-time under law.
- Micro-enterprises with fewer than five employees may apply for simplified compliance standards.
Workforce Stability Act.
- Any employee working more than 25 hours per week for three consecutive months shall be presumed full-time under law, unless the employer proves genuine seasonal or temporary necessity.
Penalties For Exploitation.
- Employers who abuse part-time loopholes will face
- First offense: warning + compliance order.
- Second offense: EC$5,000–EC$10,000.
- Repeated or willful violations: up to EC$20,000 + suspension from public contracts.
Clear Legal Definitions Of Employment Status.
- Part-Time Employment: Legally defined as less than 30 hours per week.
- Full-Time Employment: Legally defined as 30 hours or more per week.
- Removes loopholes that allow employers to manipulate job hours to avoid paying benefits.
- Ensures all employment categories are protected under labour law.
- Any attempt to manipulate schedules to evade these definitions shall constitute labour fraud.
Ban On Exploitative Rotation.
- This practice will become illegal under the Dominica Reform Party.
- Employers cannot rotate or “reset” contracts just to avoid full-time obligations.
- Exploitative rotation means the deliberate termination, interruption, or cycling of employment contracts for the primary purpose of avoiding full-time obligations, benefits, or statutory protections
The truth is, this government has forgotten who it is supposed to serve. But the Dominica Reform Party has not. We are not here to make speeches. We are here to support and uplift our people. To restore dignity to work. To make sure that if you put in the effort, you and your family will live, not just survive. We believe that every worker deserves to go home with peace of mind. With the Dominica Reform Party, hope will no longer be a dream. It will be your daily reality.