Thread by @MarkJGolding

The transformation of the public sector to make it more efficient began with the PNP. The process has been slow. We are pleased to see that the restructuring in the compensation arrangements will begin this year.
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However, we advise the Government, and indeed demand, that there be full and transparent consultations with the unions which represent public sector workers.
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The proposed restructuring arrangements must be fair and equitable for all employees who make up the public sector. Let us not try to fix one problem and end up creating another.#BudgetDebate2022

The PNP has a proud track record of defending workers and enacting important pro-worker legislation:
It was the PNP that established the Industrial Disputes Tribunal to provide greater access to employment justice for workers.
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The PNP ensured that workers who are unjustifiably terminated or made redundant, have clear rights to fair compensation with the Employment Termination and Redundancy Payments Act.
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It was the PNP that ensured that women and men earn the same pay for similar work, under the Employment (Equal Pay for Men and Women) Act.
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It was the PNP which ensured that pregnant women get time off work to have their babies, without losing pay and benefits, under the Maternity Leave Act. And;
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The PNP gave workers the right to negotiate more flexible work arrangements with employers, without losing benefits, with the Employment (Flexible Work Arrangements) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.
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We believe that it is in Jamaica’s long term interest to promote a more equitable and mutually beneficial relationship between capital and labour.
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A balanced and cohesive society and an inclusive economy, which are key elements of the Jamaican Dream, demand that workers be protected and their rights respected.
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The next PNP Government will pursue a series of reforms to ensure greater fairness at work, improve industrial harmony in the country, and increase productivity and competitiveness in our economy:
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The widespread use of fixed-term contracts must be addressed. Too often, they are being used to sidestep the basic guaranteed package of rights and benefits for workers. This is not fair to employees.#BudgetDebate2022

It also deprives the social protection systems such, NIS, NHT and HEART, of significant funding. This will end up costing the State heavily in the long run.
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The next PNP Government will bring legislation to eliminate abusive contractual arrangements which prejudice basic employment rights. We will ensure the equal and fair treatment of workers, regardless of the legal form of their contracts.
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The sugar industry has gone through a severe and painful decline since the preferential trade arrangements ended. In communities across Jamaica where the sugar industry was once the major employer, living standards have fallen dramatically. #BudgetDebate2022

It has been replaced by a crippling rise in violent crimes and criminal gangs.
Sadly, formerly peaceful rural areas have become hotspots for violent crimes, where the now-defunct sugar industry was once the main employer.
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Arrangements for the social and economic transformation of these communities have been inadequate and ad hoc. #BudgetDebate2022

A disgraceful example has been the forced removal of long-term residents of Innswood sugar lands. The Government has removed them from the only home they have known, to facilitate a sale of the land to private developers.
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They were treated like second class citizens, without any proper relocation arrangements. That matter is ongoing, and remains unresolved. There must be a reckoning for this kind of abuse of the poor and marginalized. That is not the Jamaican Dream.
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The next PNP Government will establish a Commission to examine the situation faced by communities in former sugar areas. It will develop a comprehensive socio-economic plan for the revitalization of those areas. #BudgetDebate202

The objective will be to provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for the displaced sugar workers, cane farmers and their families.They must once again earn an honest living and live in dignity.

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We would like to see Joint Industrial Councils established in those industries where there are high levels of employment, but no common standard for working conditions, and no union representation.
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The security guard industry, the tourism industry, and the global services industry (BPO) are cases in point. #BudgetDebate2022

While some employers in these industries have introduced enlightened employment practices, others lag behind when it comes to pension benefits, medical benefits, vacation leave and maternity leave. #BudgetDebate2022

Joint Industrial Councils provide a mechanism for addressing these issues in a cohesive way, for the long-term benefit of the industry and the overall economy. It will be a win-win for these businesses and the workers.
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In 1993 we passed legislation to provide tax incentives for the establishment of Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs). A special ESOP unit was established within the tax department to facilitate applications. #BudgetDebate2022

Several companies made use of the legislation, and this created substantial wealth for their employees at all levels, from the janitors and clerical workers to the CEO.
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I wish to honour the late Dr. Paul Robertson, under whose ministerial leadership the Government Printing Office was divested to a company 100%-owned by the workers, Jamaica Printing Services. #BudgetDebate2022

The company is still operating, nearly 30 years later, providing printing services for the State. It still prints the Bills for this Parliament.
Unfortunately, the momentum of the ESOP programme was not maintained.
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We are committed to reviewing and simplifying this legislation. We will once again promote employee share ownership as part of a deliberate strategy to broaden ownership in the country. #BudgetDebate2022

It will enhance the Jamaican Dream to have workers sharing in the ownership of the businesses for which they work.
I have first-hand knowledge of the benefits of this enlightened policy.
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DB&G, a very successful company of which I was one of the founders, established an Employee Share Ownership Plan for our staff. As the business grew and prospered, many of them became millionaires from their shares. That is an example of the Jamaican Dream in action.