Trade Unions Urged to Leverage Their Influence to Shape Public Policy

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with oversight for Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, says trade unions should leverage their influence to shape public policy.

Dr. Morris Dixon further stated that trade unions should advocate for social systems that support lifelong learning, provide social security nets for transitional periods, and ensure that the digital economy does not exacerbate inequality but instead provide opportunities for all.

“There are examples of unions doing this. The UNI Global Union, which represents 21 million workers, they have a digital skills development programme… this is unions developing skills. If you look in Germany, they have one of their unions that does quite a bit of work in terms of digital transformation and helping their workers to appreciate that and to get the skills that are required,” she stated.

“So, we have seen it around the world, and that’s what’s going to happen here,” Dr. Morris Dixon added.

She was speaking during the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) Symposium on Digital Transformation and Upskilling of the Labour Force, at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on Thursday (November 9).

Dr. Morris Dixon also informed that plans are in place to revamp the apprenticeship programme.

“When we talk about upskilling, I am going to be talking a lot about apprenticeship. This is another thing that we have not used in the way it was used in the past, and we are working on apprenticeship 2.0 and that, too, is going to be leading us in the upskilling path, and that is something that we want the unions to partner with us on,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Dr. Morris Dixon noted that as the BITU celebrates 85 years, “we acknowledge the transformative power of labour unions in shaping our nation’s past, guiding its present and envisioning its future”.

“The BITU, along with other labour unions, has been instrumental in advocating for workers rights, influencing policy and driving national economic reforms that are crucial for Jamaica’s progress,” she stated.

Minister Morris Dixon further noted that as the country confronts the twin crisis of productivity and demographic shifts, the role of labour unions is more important than ever.

She maintained that these are the custodians of the workforce evolution, “ensuring that as our economy modernises and our demographic landscape shifts, the rights and potential of our workers are both protected and maximised”.

For his part, BITU President, Senator Kavan Gayle, said, “We must aim to support the transformation of technology in all sectors of the workplace, both in the private and the public sector, whether service industry, finance sector, manufacturing, transportation, or agriculture.

“As digitisation continues to shape the world of work, the BITU and all its affiliates are determined to negotiate the impact of this transition collectively. The digital transformation of our economy, which has been accelerated by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, has brought about profound changes in the world of work,” Senator Gayle stated.

The symposium sought to expose interested parties to world-class presentations and cross-fertilised discourse from leading experts and stakeholders, with a view towards understanding and exploring the importance and benefits of digital transformation to build worker competence and efficiency as well as boost morale and productivity.