Forty-Two Farm Workers to Leave the Island as Labour Ministry Responds to Unemployment

Forty-two farm workers will benefit from employment opportunities as they proceed on a trip to New York and Connecticut on Thursday January 29, 2009.
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, said the departure of these workers represent the Ministry’s continued effort to protect the quality of life of the Jamaican workers, as well as creating stability amidst the unemployment challenges currently facing the country.
The workers who are mainly from rural parishes will engage in the planting of vegetable crops in the United States for a period of eight months.
The departure of these workers represents a culmination of discussions the labour Minister had with farmers in the United States late last year.
In seeking to ensure the sustainability of the programme the Labour Minister stressed the need for workers to be accountable and transparent in their dealings on and off the job.
Since the start of the year, the Ministry dispatched under 500 workers on the overseas employment programme.