Thousands of Contract Workers in Public Sector are Now Permanent Employees

Thousands of contract workers in the public sector have been made permanent employees, addressing the long-standing abuse of fixed-term contracts in Government.

The disclosure was made by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, while opening the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 12).

He shared that 8,000 contract workers in the Ministry of Education and Youth became permanent.

Some 1,600 posts were created in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, resulting in 1,400 doctors who were on contract becoming permanently employed by the Government.

“This is a significant boost for the healthcare system,” Dr. Clarke said.

In the Ministry of National Security, 1,105 posts were created to cover all the temporary employment posts.

Meanwhile, Dr. Clarke said work is ongoing to place employees in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development in permanent posts.

The Minister assured Jamaicans that the Government remains committed to addressing the issue over a three-year period, ending in fiscal year 2025/26.

“It’s not humanly possible to deal with a problem that’s been around for 30 years and to do it overnight. The important thing is that we are making progress and that people are being brought on,” Dr. Clarke said.