The Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be rolling out a life certificate for the new Social Pension Programme during the first quarter of the current fiscal year. A life certificate is an official document used to verify that a pensioner is still alive and, therefore, eligible to receive a pension from the Government of Jamaica. “[This]is documentation that...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Karl Samuda (left), makes a presentation to Angella Lawrence, during a ceremony held at the Port Maria Arcade in St. Mary on March 29, to hand over relief cheques to individuals who were negatively impacted by flood rains earlier this year. In the background is Manager for the Ministry’s St. Mary Parish Office,...

Corporate and public entities are required to retrofit their premises to accommodate persons with disabilities (PWDs). Building contractors must also ensure that new public and commercial buildings are constructed in a way that make them accessible to these persons. This was disclosed by the Interim Executive Director of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), Dr. Christine Hendricks, in...

The Minimum Wage Advisory Commission will this year undertake constant monitoring and review of the circumstances under which a wage increase is desired. This is part of the expanded role of the Commission under the Minimum Wage Act. Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Ronald Robinson, in making the disclosure said that the entity, in its monitoring, will be looking at...

The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCDP) is calling on individuals who are diagnosed with a disability to register with the Council. With the Disabilities Act in effect from February 14, 2022, the Interim Executive Director of the JCPD, Dr. Christine Hendricks, pointed out to JIS News that being registered with the Council, persons with disabilities (PWDs) will be...

Beginning this month, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is to expand its reach to include needy families who are not in receipt of benefits under the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) grants. Through the Ministry, the Government is partnering with the Jamaica Red Cross, Food For the Poor, Council for Voluntary Social Services, Adventist Relief...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is aiming to enact the Occupational Safety and Health Act this year. “That’s a long outstanding matter that I have already taken up with the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs,” said Portfolio Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, during the sitting of the Standing Finance Committee on March 3. The legislation aims to protect...