Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 27/Dec 04:22

Another example of insensitivity to women

THE EDITOR: I was totally appalled and saddened to learn that the cashiers, all female, at PriceSmart, have had to go to the Industrial Court for a determination of their dispute, involving the refusal of their employers to provide them with seating. I understand the hearing is scheduled for March 2026. The very existence of such a dispute and the fact that the matter does not seem to be regarded as urgent, make the situation of the female employees untenable and constitute another example of the society's insensitivity to women. Some years ago, the issue of seating for cashiers was raised by a group of us women at an annual general meeting of the Massy Group (Neal and Massy) at the Hilton Hotel. We were able to achieve a positive response, as the cashiers got their chairs. I had no doubt that we would have succeeded, as I had personally experienced the humanity of the management of the Massy Group. When Dad became blind at the relatively young age of 47 years, the company decided, as he had been such a valuable and loyal employee, that they would continue to pay his salary until we, his children, had finished our education and were employed. When Dad died in 2012 at 93 years, a number of Massy staff members attended his funeral. When, at another AGM, I raised the issue of the absence of women on the board of Neal and Massy, chairman and CEO Sydney Knox's defence was that they did not want tokenism but competence. When a woman was finally appointed, Knox chided me for not thanking him and I said it had taken too long. Over the years, Caesar Montes de Oca and, later, Knox, offered me a position as a corporate lawyer with them, but I explained my heart was in family law. Also, I had learnt of the principle of co-option when I was a student of Carl Parris' politics class. Nevertheless, Knox, when he learned that I had left private practice to run the Legal Aid Clinic at the Law School, invited me to ask Henderson for any resources I needed for the clinic. As a people, we must be ever vigilant and protective of the rights of others, especially the most vulnerable. Despite the advances made by women in our society, there are still many issues affecting the enjoyment of their rights and disrespectful of their unique situations, including physiology, which make women equal to men but different. In the circumstances, including this being a season of goodwill, I am calling on PriceSmart (and I ask my sisters and conscious brothers to join me) to provide the chairs for their cashiers, not later, but now. HAZEL THOMPSON-AHYE via e-mail The post Another example of insensitivity to women appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.