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The Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) have entered into an agreement to share databases, which will allow for more efficient processing of work permits. Labour Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles; Permanent Secretary, Alvin McIntosh; and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PICA, Jennifer McDonald, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the agency...

Managers of public sector agencies and departments confirmed support for the Government's workplace policy for HIV/AIDS, by signing a Leadership Advocacy Commitment document at Jamaica House in Kingston to mark World AIDS Day on Tuesday (December 1). The event, held under the theme: "Yes I Can Support a PLWHIV (Person Living with HIV/AIDS)", was organised by the Office of the...

Government is expected to pay out over $430 million to members of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica (NAJ), in additional salaries and allowances, based on an agreement signed at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) Tuesday (December 1). The new agreement will cover the two-year period, April, 2008 to March, 2010, and became necessary because the NAJ, which...

Senior citizens who are having difficulties taking care of themselves are being urged to sign up with the Programme for Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), so that assistance can be provided. The call was made by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, at the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) Conference on aging, held today (November...

State Minister for Labour and Social Security, Hon. Andrew Gallimore, says that the just-released Productivity Summary Report 1972-2007 is a call for Jamaican workers to begin maximizing their time on the job. He noted that although the report shows productivity levels continuously declining over the 35-year period, "the contents of this document in no way shape or form predict what...

The 9th biennial scientific conference of the Association of Caribbean Occupational Therapist (ACOT) was officially opened today (Nov. 5) at the Hilton Kingston hotel. The three-day conference is being held under the theme: 'It all comes together here: Caribbean occupational therapists striving for excellence'. Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, in his remarks, said that the Ministry...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, has said that the industrial relations climate must be one that fosters co-operation between workers and managers for the country's development. "We must look at industrial relations with a new vision of partnership and co-operation," he said, noting that the "lock out of workers by management, and workers walking of the...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, the Hon. Pearnel Charles, is to meet with representatives of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, next week, following the breakdown of wage talks on Thursday (October 29). Mr. Charles told JIS News last night that he would be meeting with the parties to avoid...

With a report on Jamaica's Productivity levels over the past four decades showing a recurrent trend of low productivity, State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Andrew Gallimore, has said that there needs to be improvement in productivity and efficiency within the public and private sectors. Speaking at a JIS Think Tank session yesterday (Oct. 28),...

The employment forecast for Jamaica shows opportunities in education, health care and social assistance, and professional and business services, including Information Communication Technology (ICT). Hospitality, financial, scientific and technical services, construction, and creative and cultural industries, also show strong prospects. Manager of the Human Development Unit at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Mr. Steven Kerr, made the revelation as...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, has assured members of the Practical Nurses Association of Jamaica that the Government is exploring making financing available to them to pursue the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) programme. The programme is currently being offered at Knox Community College, Brown's Town Community College and the Nuttall Hospital, in collaboration with the Ministry...

Attorney-at-law, Noman Wright Q.C. has been appointed as the new chairman of the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT). The announcement was made by Minister of Labour and Social Security, the Hon. Pearnel Charles, in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (October 6), as he piloted a Bill amending the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act (LRIDA) which will, finally, allow non-unionised...