Labour Ministry to step up productivity thrust
Published:Thursday | June 28, 2018 | 10:26 AM
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is stepping up measures to improve workplace productivity.
“Increase in productivity is necessary for sustainable economic development, competitiveness, job creation and prosperity,” said Portfolio Minister Shahine Robinson in her contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
“The nation’s understanding and awareness of the importance of productivity improvements and its contribution to economic growth is not fully appreciated, hence the Ministry will be stepping up its game to enhance awareness over time,” she added.
As such, she said the Ministry will be ramping up its public-awareness campaign through the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC).
She informed that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided the JPC with an expert on quality and productivity who will “allow the centre to add quality to its productivity portfolio”.
She noted that The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited and Lasco Jamaica have joined forces with the JPC to promote productivity in schools along with the formation of productivity clubs in high schools.
“This is a very important development, as it recognises that if we inculcate a strong productivity culture in our students, it will grow with them through life,” Robinson pointed out.
On May 17, the JPC staged the first of four productivity fora planned for this fiscal year in Kingston as part of Workers’ Week activities, under the theme ‘Ramping up Productivity through Innovation’.
Boosting productivity is a key area of focus under the Ministry’s Strategic Business Plan for 2018/19 through to 2020/21.
Other priorities are increasing employment within the context of the decent work agenda, enabling a more efficient labour market, maintaining a harmonious industrial relations climate, providing a safe and healthy work environment and protecting the most vulnerable groups.
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