Full Text | UCASE calls on Gov't to fix industrial relations labour market issues

Vincent Morrison, president of the Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE), in a statement today, outlined the various industrial relations labour market issues the country is currently facing and has called on the Government to take the lead in setting up Joint Industrial Councils in a number of sectors.

See Morrison's full statement below:

1. Fixed term contracts should be in place only for fixed term work. Long term, work for example, bauxite and alumina sector, creates hardship to the workers. The purpose of fixed term contracts as it is being used in Jamaica is to deny workers basic benefits such as job security and pension benefits. The whole question of demotivation is another reason why the fixed term contract arrangement must be examined so that the distortion it creates in the labour market can be sorted out.

2. Hotel tourism workers laid off since March 2020, at the start of the pandemic COVID-19, are experiencing tremendous hardships. The industry and government needs to put in place protocols, plans or whatever to assist the workers in the industry. It must be noted that after 120 days being laid off, employees can make claim on their employers for notice and redundancy pay. We would strongly urge the workers so affected so to do.

3. Ministry of Labour and Social Security has informed us that disputes relating to redundancies will no longer be dealt with by the Ministry of Labour or be referred to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal but should be referred to the courts. We think this is in total contravention of not only custom and practice but the laws of Jamaica. This dictate from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is deeply concerning and disturbing. We are of the view that the Jamaica Flour Mills Case, that went to the Privy Council, had settled the manner in which redundancy disputes are dealt with in Jamaica. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security's position is unfortunate and we are seeking a meeting with Minister Karl Samuda to discuss and settle the issue.

4. Public Sector Negotiations - the upcoming negotiations in the sector should commence before the end of March. We are not a member of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU), so we are not a part of the central bargaining mechanism now in place in the public sector. There have been suggestions by certain commentators about wage freeze. We reject those calls for wage freeze because we believe they are totally unfair to the workers. We cannot have wage freeze on the one hand and on the other hand, prices are allowed to ramble, roll and rise. We know that there is a gap in the budget due to the fall out of revenue, but we have a suggestion for the Minister of Finance as to how this gap can be closed without any disruption to the Government’s economic programme.

5. Jamaica Employers Federation - We have tried to make contact with the JEF to discuss some of these issues with them to try and find some middle ground. We have not been getting responses from JEF and therefore any chance of having any sort of social contract going forward in this period seems to be completely remote.

6. We wish also to mention the plight and hardship being experienced by thousands of displaced sugar workers across the country. We wish and hope that the authorities will be so inclined to come to their much needed assistance.

7. Finally we wish to again call upon the government to take the lead in setting up Joint Industrial Councils in a number of sectors including and most importantly the Security Guard industry.

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