Labour Ministry Takes Position in Growth Drive

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is working to reposition itself as a driver of growth as the Government advances its mandate for increased job creation and development.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Collette Roberts-Risden, said this is the philosophy that will guide the Ministry towards the future.

She also noted that this is a key recommendation of the Labour Market Reform Commission (LMRC), established in 2015.

Mrs. Roberts-Risden was addressing a Productivity Forum on May 17 as part of National Workers’ Week and in recognition of the 80th Anniversary of the Labour Department of Jamaica.

It was hosted under the theme ‘Ramping Up Productivity through Innovation’. The forum was hosted by the Jamaica Productivity Centre.

The LMRC has a mandate to ensure that the country’s labour market structure, regulations, policies, programmes and projects become compatible with modern practices in order to improve productivity and economic growth.

“Labour is a key component for growth. The modernisation of labour and focusing on productivity is where we are pushing. One of the challenges going forward is how we deal with the changing nature of employment, increasing informality and non-standard forms of contract,” Mrs. Roberts-Risden said.

She argued that improvements in productivity in the workplace across all sectors will be the driving factor in the country achieving its growth targets.

The Permanent Secretary used her presentation to highlight the journey of the Department since its establishment in 1938, which includes passing and amending a number of critical legislation.