Buchanan PROPOSED AMENDMENTS to the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act and certain aspects of the Trade Union Act would be submitted to Cabinet next Monday, says Labour and Social Security Minister, Donald Buchanan.
These would then be taken to the House where the amendments are expected to be approved before the end of the legislative year which comes to a close on March 31, 2001.
Mr. Buchanan said there would be challenges to the amendments and not everyone would be satisfied with the changes.
The Minister was speaking at a Retreat for Directors of the Ministry, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston on Wednesday.
"The employers, workers and the government will be satisfied with certain things and there are aspects of the reform which will pose challenges for all parties involved," he explained.
According to Mr. Buchanan the time had come for action and decisive forward movement in terms of the amendments as part of the labour market reform process in this country. "I make no apologies for going forward, I'm prepared to face the flak when that time comes," he said.
Mr. Buchanan pointed out that Jamaica could not become a modern economic country without a fundamental reform of its labour market structure.
New vision
"One challenge we face is to create a new vision in labour relations and to operationalise that vision and keep it before our employers, workers and the people as a whole," he said.
The Minister also noted that the Ministry was looking at legislative amendments to the Employment (Termination and Redundancy Payments) Act and the Women (Employment) Act.
With regard to the implementation of a flexible 40-hour work week, Minister Buchanan said a task force, headed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Anthony Irons, was formed to come up with proposals and they would conclude their discussions in the next few days.
"I have asked for a meeting of the Labour Advisory Committee for January 5, 2001 and when we meet then, we are going to finalise the way forward. Again, not everybody is going to be pleased, but together in partnership, we have to find the way forward in the interest of Jamaica," he said.
Mr. Buchanan said the Ministry had renewed its drive for a meaningful Social Contract, the objective of which was to promote and sustain an atmosphere and culture of industrial harmony, which would enable the country to function and optimise the opportunities which were afforded in the global economy.
"I want to make it very clear that we are making no attempts to force a Social Contract upon our social partners. But we intend to be exhaustive, relentless and tireless in the pursuit of dialogue towards the achievement of a national social understanding that brings all the elements of the economic sectors together," he pointed out.
