Donald Buchanan FIFTEEN RESORTS in Mackinaw City, Michigan in the US have indicated they will need additional Jamaican hotel workers under the Hospitality (H2B) Programme.
This was noted recently by Labour and Social Security Minister Donald Buchanan.
Mr. Buchanan and his Permanent Secretary Anthony Irons, returned on Sunday from a trip to the US where they visited Jamaican hotel workers and their employers in Michigan, and agricultural workers in Vermont and upstate New York.
The Minister said about 4,000 Jamaicans were currently employed under the H2B programme, more than 1,000 of them in Michigan resorts
He said the hotel workers asked about arrangements being made for them to make contributions to the National Housing Trust (NHT) to enable them to qualify for benefits. The Ministry is exploring possible ways of addressing this concern.
The Minister said the agricultural workers shared concerns about customs arrangements when they returned to Jamaica with appliances and other effects.
Mr. Buchanan also visited the Central Labour Office in Washington, the headquarters for the administration of both the agricultural and hospitality programmes.
He said the Ministry would be restructuring the office and effecting some necessary changes in the administration to better reflect the increase in the H2B programme.
The Minister advised that a new chief liaison officer and a new deputy chief would be appointed next month.
