Charles Reiterates Urgent Need for Flexible Work Week

KINGSTON — Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, says the Ministry is close to implementing the flexi-work week, which will provide better employment opportunities.

He said that he is hastening to have the flexi work week implemented, because it is expected to increases employment.

“Where a worker can do a 40-hour work week in three and a half days and go home for two days or a day and a half…and give somebody else a job,” he said.

Mr. Charles was speaking at a press conference at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, in New Kingston, on Friday (September 23).

He explained that the delay in the process has resulted from the fact that the Green Paper has not yet been turned into a White Paper, to be laid in Parliament with agreement from both sides of the House.

The introduction of Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs), as part of the Labour Market Reform (LMR) process, has been under discussion at the Labour Advisory Committee (LAC), as well as in Parliament, since 1997. It addresses variations in the number of hours worked each day, the number of days worked each week, as well as in the days of the week when employees work.

The LAC is a tripartite industrial relations body, comprised of representatives of the Ministry, the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) and the Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF).

A Green Paper on the issue was tabled in Parliament in 2001, and a Joint Select Committee, chaired by Mr. Charles, reviewed the Green Paper and tabled a report in 2009 recommending a 12-hour cap on work days replacing the current 8-10 hours work days. However churches, including the Seventh-day Adventists, have raised concerns about Sabbath days becoming normal work days.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter