Glenda, kibba yu mout

The Editor, Sir:

It is a pity that your columnist Glenda Simms in her piece, "Liza, Kibba Yu Mout", perpetuates the misinformation published in the Jamaica Observer article of July 30 and ignores the follow-up that subsequently appeared in that newspaper.

For the record, I have never asserted that any household "should be protected at all times against the helper who might be tempted to bring to public attention any questionable or non-questionable activity within".

Highly offensive

Dr Simms also suggests that I consider household helpers to be "chattels whose bodies and minds are owned by their employers", and that I consider them to belong to "the category of non-citizen or second-class citizen". I find this inference highly offensive and reject it outright. I have never said, in this context or indeed in any other, anything that would lead to this spurious suggestion.

Neither the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) nor myself would ever seek to silence any individual, including household helpers, who report wrongdoing. Indeed, we fully support the strengthening of the legal protection given to all individuals who do their civic duty. However, we believe that the Protected Disclosure Bill in its current form is seriously flawed and creates more problems than it purports to solve.

We further believe that there needs to be a comprehensive look at using the existing laws and institutions, along with any new legislation, to more effectively accomplish the aims of any 'whistleblower' law.

To this end, we are currently working closely with the trade unions, who share the JEF's view on the bill in its current form extending to household employees, and the Ministry of Labour to expeditiously achieve this goal.

I am, etc.,

WAYNE CHEN

President

Jamaica Employers' Federation