Ministry of Labour & Social Security
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Ministry of Labour Vigilant on Work Permits
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KINGSTON(JIS)
Thursday, July 13, 2006
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Labour and Social Security Minister, Derrick Kellier, has said that while the Ministry has facilitated the inflow of foreign labour to work on large construction projects, it "has remained vigilant to ensure a proper and fair mix of local and overseas labour at all of these work sites".
Making his contribution to the 2006/07 Sectoral Debate in the House yesterday (July 11), Mr. Kellier said he recently met with developers of large construction projects and asked that they present their total labour needs by skills categories in adequate time, in order for the Ministry to identify local skilled labourers before requests for work permits are submitted.
"The Ministry is also insisting that vacancies be advertised locally, including on the Ministry's Electronic Labour Exchange, before consideration is given to overseas recruitment," the Minister told the House.
He stressed that since his appointment as Minister, he has closely examined all incoming applications for work permits and before any are granted, "I must be satisfied that the particular skills being imported are not available locally".
"I can re-assure all who have raised concerns that as Minister I continue to take a keen interest in balancing the need to facilitate these necessary development projects, while ensuring that Jamaican workers benefit from such investments," he added.
The Minister urged workers on large construction projects, not to take matters into their own hands as the Labour Ministry was the competent authority responsible for regulating the number of foreign and Jamaican workers on such projects.
On the possibility of the work permit system being used as a cover for human trafficking, he disclosed that a senior intelligence officer with training in policing and investigative techniques has been engaged by the Ministry since
July 3.
He informed that the intelligence officer has been assigned to the work permit section to ensure that no abuse of the system occurs.
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