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The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is intensifying efforts to curtail child labour in Jamaica through a ‘Risk Identification Model’ programme being implemented to identify communities where this illicit activity is occurring, in order to facilitate interventions.

According to Director of Child Labour in the Ministry, Sacha Deer Gordon, the initiative will entail creating vulnerability maps that highlight areas where child labour is suspected to be taking place, for monitoring and eventual action.

She was speaking at a recent labour forum at The Knutsford Court Hotel in St. Andrew.

Ms. Gordon said the system will allow the authorities to “identify the highest probability where child labour may occur, and in what sector”.

She cited a recent Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) study that revealed an estimated 38,000 children are involved in child labour locally.

The Director said once the victims are identified, “we put plans in place to interrupt that trajectory”, adding that steps are taken to monitor their recovery, because “we don’t want them to re-enter child labour”.

Ms. Gordon pointed out that business owners employing children under age 13 to work in their establishments are in breach of the Child Care and Protection Act, which stipulates that youngsters up to the age of 14 years can only be engaged in “light work” for no more than 14 hours per week.

The Act further stipulates that children, aged 15, can only engage in full employment if they have completed secondary education.

“But they cannot be engaged in hazardous work [below] age 16… and it has to be done under supervision and with proper instructions,” she said.

Ms. Gordon said the Government continues to discourage child labour, emphasising that “it is something that we are saying must stop”.

Efforts to this end include the Ministry’s establishment of a National Steering Committee, which meets monthly and utilises various mechanisms designed to promote child rights.

Child labour is a criminal offence, with penalties ranging from $250,000 or three months’ imprisonment to a maximum of $1 million.

Source: https://jis.gov.jm/govt-implementing-community-level-programme-to-curtail-child-labour/

The Ministry wishes to advise NIS pensioners that all pension vouchers payable from Monday,
December 24, 2018 to Friday, December 28, 2018, may be encashed at your Post Office from Monday, December 17, 2018.

The National Commercial Bank (NCB) will only cash pension vouchers on or after the date they are payable. For further information, you may contact the NIS Office located in your parish.

Have a blessed Christmas and a 2019 filled with love, peace and joy.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security this morning convened an emergency conciliatory meeting in relation to industrial action by Medical Technology, represented by the Union of Technical Administrative and Supervisory Personnel (UTASP).

The parties have agreed that continued discussion will take place at the local level and normalcy will be restored.

Labour and Social Security Minister Shahine Robinson has said that her ministry is committed to the swift implementation of the Disabilities Act, which was passed in 2014.

“The Government remains committed for the long term to guarantee full inclusion. Consequently, it has been working through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to ensure that persons with disabilities are constantly empowered,” Robinson said.

“We recognise, however, the need for strengthened capacity, and so the organisational review currently taking place will provide many of the solutions for the issues and challenges raised.”

‘I Am Able’ Campaign

The minister was speaking at the launch of a new comprehensive report on persons with disabilities on Monday, which was recognised as International Day for Persons with Disabilities. The ‘I am Able’ media campaign to promote the empowerment and inclusion of children with disabilities was also launched.

Robinson said that she has turned up the pressure on her team to get the required codes of practices in place.

“I have been pressing the entire team at the ministry to provide a timeline for when this is expected to be completed as implementation of the act is contingent on corresponding codes of practices, and I have been told that the code of practices will be ready early in the coming financial year,” she said.

The minister’s response came after a call by the Digicel Foundation, the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund for the full enforcement of the Disabilities Act and for greater inclusion of children with disabilities.

Digicel Foundation Chief Executive Officer Karlene Dawson said that more must be done.

“The Government has made significant strides in addressing the problems faced by persons living with disabilities. However, the country has to move swiftly to enact the Disabilities Act,” Dawson said.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20181206/interest-groups-call-full-implementation-disabilities-act

The Government is taking steps to amend the Minimum Wage Act to provide greater protection for workers.

The existing law, passed in 1938, provides for the payment of wages above or equal to, but not below a statutory level for certain types of work.

It also establishes a Minimum Wage Advisory Commission and the appointment of officers to inspect records to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Act.

State Minister for Labour and Social Security, Zavia Mayne, said that the amendments to be undertaken reflect concerns expressed by workers, and are in keeping with international labour conventions.

Mayne, who was addressing the ministry’s ‘Labour Department and You Road Show’ held recently at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston, said the changes will ensure greater protection for employees.

He argued that when workers feel protected, they are motivated, which can lead to greater levels of efficiency and productivity.

He noted that the amendments are not meant to cause inconvenience to employers, and assured that the ministry will “seek to provide you with as much assistance and guidance with the laws as they will be in a short time”.

Meanwhile, Mayne commended the trade union representatives who attended the two-day roadshow.

“I applaud you for your active social dialogue in resolving employment matters and helping us to maintain a harmonious industrial climate,” he said.

The highly interactive events, which are being held across the island, seek to raise awareness about how the public can access the services of the Labour Department.

The events target jobseekers, workers and employers, as well as union representatives, for discussion on a range of issues, including industrial relations, occupational safety and health, efforts to eliminate child labour, the roles and functions of registered employment agencies as well as the local and overseas employment programmes.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/_Gov%26%238217;t_amending_Minimum_Wage_Act?profile=1228

The Codes of Practice to protect persons with disabilities are to be completed in the upcoming 2019/2020 financial year.

Meanwhile, the Disability Regulations are to be completed by the end of December.

This was noted by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson, at the launch of a ‘Situational Analysis of Persons with Disabilities’ report, on Monday (December 3), at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston.

The launch was held as part of the commemorative activities for the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), observed annually on December 3. The theme for this year was ‘Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality’.

Minister Robinson said the Ministry is working assiduously to ensure that the codes are completed as quickly as possible, as implementation of the Disabilities Act is contingent on the corresponding codes of practice.

“Going forward, the Ministry is dedicated to implementation of the Disabilities Act. The codes of practice currently being drafted will provide practical guidance to our stakeholders in education, training and empowerment on how to ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities,” Mrs. Robinson said.

She encouraged members of the private and public sectors, as well as civil society, to be “more deliberate in engaging the community of persons with disabilities”.

“The Government remains committed for the long term to guarantee full inclusion. Consequently, it has been working through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to ensure that persons with disabilities are constantly empowered. We recognise, however, the need for strengthened capacity, and so the organisational review currently taking place will provide many of the solutions to the issues and challenges raised in the situational analysis,” she noted.

The codes and regulations follow the passage of the Disabilities Act in 2014 and will set the minimum standards on how the public is to interact with persons with disabilities (PWDs).

They will also guide the participation of PWDs in society and will state the penalties for discrimination.

Also launched at the event was the ‘I Am Able’ disability awareness media campaign, which seeks to promote the empowerment and inclusion of children with disabilities.

The report and the campaign are the main outcomes of a two-year partnership between the Ministry and Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), which began in 2017.

The main purpose of the report is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the implementation of the Disabilities Act, which was passed in 2014, but is yet to be fully enforced.

It underscores that persons with disabilities are often overlooked and marginalised, and tend to face discrimination and social exclusion.

The initiatives are being spearheaded by the JCPD, in partnership with Digicel Foundation and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Source: https://jis.gov.jm/codes-of-practice-to-protect-persons-with-disabilities-2/

The Government is developing a National Action Plan to transition household workers and fisherfolk to the formal economy.

The initiative is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, through support from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Recently, a two-day consultative workshop was held at the Ministry’s North Street offices in Kingston, aimed at garnering the input of various stakeholders towards the development of the action plan.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Shahine Robinson, in her remarks at the event, noted that the value of work performed in the informal economy is well established.

She said that in moving to formalise work arrangements in the fisheries and domestic work sectors, “careful investigations must be done to establish the factors that drive informality”.

“We recognise that the two sectors are unique and that any strategy designed will need to reflect the differences and intricacies that characterise them. Such strategies must take into account our fiscal and cultural realities and be grounded in genuine consultation and social dialogue,” she noted.

The workshop, part of a series titled ‘Transitioning from Informality to Formality’, follows on a development cooperation pilot project carried out in collaboration with the ILO, during 2015-2016, aimed at facilitating transition to formality in Granville and Garland/Horseguard Districts, St. James.

“We saw these workers develop as they learnt to better organise themselves, forming cooperatives, which served to further their interests,” Mrs. Robinson said in noting the success of the pilot project.

“They learnt how to register their businesses, allowing them access to credit and to take advantage of other opportunities not available to them before formalisation,” she added.

Source: https://jis.gov.jm/govt-developing-action-to-formalize-household-workers-and-fisherfolk/

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security wishes to advise the public that a false and erroneous message is being circulated on social media, in relation to workers who worked between 1990-2018 having rights to monetary benefits from the Ministry’s Department of Labour. The public is being advised to discontinue the sharing of this message as it is a hoax.

The message being circulated did not originate from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Employers and workers are being encouraged to educate themselves about the country’s labour laws in order to facilitate smooth negotiations in settling disputes.

The call came from State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Zavia Mayne, in his address at the Kingston leg of the ‘Labour Department and You’ road show at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston on Thursday (November 22).

“As we continue to have (bitter) labour disputes, we recognise that the majority of these cases could have been resolved at the organisational level if the parties had a better understanding of our labour laws,” he noted.

“Be proactive rather than being reactive and then finding that you are in breach of our labour laws… A better understanding of our labour legislation will also lead to a more productive and profitable organisation,” he added.

Mr. Mayne said the ‘Labour Department and You’ road show, which is being staged by the Ministry across the island, seeks to promote greater awareness among employers and workers about their rights.

Under the Labour Relations Code, employers should provide clear, comprehensive and non-discriminatory employment policies. Also, policies should address social welfare services such as medical care, canteens, pension, a well as occupational safety and health.

Some responsibilities of the workers are that they familiarise themselves with the terms of contract and perform contracted service to the best of their ability.

The road show, held over two days, addressed issues related to the job market, industrial relations, occupational safety and health, efforts to eliminate child labour, as well as local and overseas employment programmes.

The next stops are St. James, January 16 and 17; and St. Thomas, February 27 and 28.

The series of education and sensitisation fora involve collaboration with the Jamaica Employers’ Federation (JEF) and the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU).

Source: https://jis.gov.jm/employers-workers-encourage-to-increase-knowledge-about-labor-laws/

The Occupational Safety and Health Bill (2017) is now before a Joint Select Committee of Parliament, with the first meeting held on Wednesday, November 21, 2018. The OSH Bill is intended to repeal the Factories Act (1943), which is limited in scope and excludes vital sectors, such as the financial sector, shops and offices, agriculture and the public sector.

Speaking at the Joint Select Committee, Minister of State, Zavia Mayne said, “ILO standards on occupational safety and health provide essential tools for governments, employers and workers to establish practices that ensure safety at work.” He further informed that according to the ILO, “approximately 2.3 million people die every year at work from an occupational injury or disease.”

The introduction of the OSH Bill in Jamaica is expected to usher in a new paradigm in work place Safety and Health.