MWAG TO HOLD TWO EVENTS ON THE WEEK-END

The Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG) has organised a Labour Relations Workshop aimed at sensitising its membership about how they can become recognised under the Labour Code of the country. The event is scheduled for Saturday at the Public Workers Union (PWU) building at Tanteen.

Facilitators include Ms. Michele Jankanish a Specialist in Labour Laws at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Sir. Roy Trotmon, former president of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) and the current General Secretary of the Barbados Workers Union (BWU).

Ms. Jankanish will speak on the topics "AIDS in the Workplace" as well as how "ILOs Conventions 87, 98 and 100 Impact On Local Media Workers". Sir. Roy on the other hand will give details   about how his organisation sees the three ILO Conventions.

Concerns have been raised in some quarters about there being nothing specific in the Labour Code as it relates to benefits for media workers. At the end of the workshop, MWAG is of the hope that the two facilitators can assist them in coming up with some form of recommendation which will recognise them under the Labour Code.

A representative of the Conference of Churches of Grenada (CCG) as well as some one from the Department of Labour are also expected to participate in the workshop. Meanwhile the body will hold its annual dinner later in the evening at the Tout Baggay Restaurant on the Carenage. This is sponsored by telecommunications giant Cable & Wireless.

Last Monday Corporate Communications Manager for the company Richard Simon handed over a cheque worth $6000.00 to the group's First Vice President Carla-Rae Briggs. The donation is to cover part of the cost incurred from staging the dinner. In accepting the cheque Briggs expressed gratitude to C&W on behalf of MWAG.

She noted that the possibility of staging this year's event looked unlikely in light of the present state of the Grenadian economy. The First Vice-President spoke of the quick response by the company  to the plea from the group saying that C&W acted in record time in coming up with the sponsorship.

In making the presentation Simon described the relationship existing between C&W and MWAG is one of mutual respect. He expressed the hope that the relationship will continue in the years ahead. Also witnessing the handing over was Secretary of MWAG Ray Roberts who viewed the contribution as an investment in the development of the human resource in the country. He noted that the work of the media in national development is often overlooked.

According to the MWAG secretary C&W has shown that it understands the role media practitioners play and so the contribution will help to bring all of the different media together, helping each other to grow in the process. The dinner will begin at 7 p.m. at the Tout Baggay Restaurant and is expected to be addressed by an official from the Conference of Churches of Grenada (CCG) among other speakers.