Chang
Clarke
Davis-Whyte
Irons
Nelson
Roberts
Sylvester
Ying
A TRIPARTITE working group has been formed to look into the possibility of a flexible work week for Jamaican workers. The tripartite Labour Advisory Committee (LAC) on Thursday appointed the group, headed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Tony Irons, to study the issue and report back to the LAC within four weeks.
The decision to form the working group was taken after five Ministers of Government attending Thursday's meeting, failed to convince the trade unions and the employers to reach a consensus on the issue. A source told The Gleaner that "certain reservations were expressed by both sides," leading to the decision to form the committee.
The committee is also comprised of: Keith Goodison, adviser to the Minister of Labour on labour market reform; Dr. Rosalea Hamilton of the Ministry of Foreign Trade; and Fae Sylvester, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Technology, as Government representatives; Dr. Nevile Ying, head of the Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF), Anthony Chang, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Clarence Clarke, head of the Jamaica Manufacturers Association, representing the employers: and four union representatives -- Danny Roberts of the National Workers Union (NWU); Dwight Nelson of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU); Helen Davis-Whyte of Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO) and Lambert Brown of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU).
Government Ministers attending Thursday's meeting were -- Donald Buchanan, Minister of Labour and Social Security, who chairs the LAC and his junior Minister, Horace Dalley; Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Technology and his junior Minister Colin Campbell; and, Minister of Foreign Trade, Anthony Hylton.
Also attending were representatives of the Government promotions agency, JAMPRO.
This is the latest in a number of urgent moves being made by the Government in a search for consensus on the issue. However, the trade unions and the employers have remained firm in their positions. Although there is general agreement on the principle of a flexible work week, the unions want it to be left open to contractual arrangements between the workers and their employer, while the employers are seeking amendments to a number of pieces of legislation including the Minimum Wage Orders to make it enforceable.
NWU president, Clive Dobson, told The Gleaner on the eve of the meeting that the unions had asked the Government, at their previous meeting, to provide evidence to support the claim of Jamaica's competitive disadvantage by not legislating a flexible work week.
Mr. Dobson said that he knew of no country in the region which operated on the basis being suggested by the employers and the Government. He also warned that if there was any attempt to force the legislation on workers, it could lead to industrial unrest.
