Business leaders across the island are calling on the government, to make efforts to revise the labour code before the end of this financial year.

In a joint press release today (Feb 15) the Jamaica manufacturers and Exporters association, the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, said Jamaica’s 43 year old labour laws and codes are too complex and difficult to navigate.

President of the PSOJ Howard Mitchell explains that in an environment where micro, small and medium enterprises make up 97% of tax paying businesses, the out-dated legislation is inhibiting the ability of small employers to efficiently operate their businesses.

Mr. Mitchell complains of the high costs associated with bringing cases before the Industrial Dispute Tribunal (IDT) and of decisions which he says are unfairly made based on the strict  application of the code procedures.

He laments the lengthy procedures necessitated by the current legislation.

The PSOJ President points out those employers are not seeking to disenfranchise workers, only to improve the equity of the process.

He adds that in 2017, private sector bodies participated in the labour market reform consultations, which recommended modernizing the code in accordance with international standards.

Business leaders are purporting that the recent settlement between the management of Petrojam and the former Human Resource Manager highlights the difficulties experienced by the private sector in any attempt to address breaches of discipline at the workplace or to terminate an employee based on the application of the labour relations code.