Activities for Workers’ Week

Several activities will be undertaken to mark Workers’ Week 2017, to pay tribute to Jamaican workers and the important role they play in socio-economic development.

The Week will be observed from May 15 to 23 under the theme ‘Restore…Preserve…Beautify’, and the activities will be spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

To kick-start the events, a panel discussion on the recently tabled Occupational, Safety and Health (OSH) Bill will be held on Friday, May 19 at 9:30 a.m. at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

The event, themed ‘Preserving Workers’ Legacy through Health, Safety and Well-Being’, will feature presentations from the tripartite partners, including the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) and the Jamaica Employers’ Federation (JEF). They will examine the impact of the legislation on businesses and workers.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson; Minster of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange; and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, are expected to attend.

On Sunday, May 21 there will be a National Thanksgiving Service for Workers’ Week and Labour Day (May 23), at the Portmore New Testament Church of God in St. Catherine, commencing at 9:00 a.m.

The Labour Ministry, in collaboration with the JCTU, will host a rededication and remembrance ceremony at the Workers’ Monument in downtown Kingston on Monday, May 22.

Beautification of the monument will be done and the inscription plaque replaced. The monument was erected in dedication to Jamaican workers who participated in the 1939 labour riots at the Kingston Wharves.

Workers’ Week is a time for reflection on the labour uprisings of the 1930s and the sacrifices made by workers locally and regionally