Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
DALLEY
THE GOVERNMENT will be pushing for the implementation of flexible work hours this year by amending the laws which govern the opening and closing of businesses.
Labour and Social Security Minister, Horace Dalley, said flexible work hours must be implemented if Jamaica intends to keep pace with its competitors.
"All of our competitors are involved in flexi-work arrangements," Dalley said Tuesday as he made his contribution to the 2005/06 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.
Flexible work arrangements have been on the books since July 2000 when a 12-member committee was appointed and charged with the task of addressing the complex issues involved in implementing flexi-time locally.
Members of the committee were drawn from parliamentarians, the trade unions and employers' organisations but the groups over the years have failed to arrive at a consensus on the matter.
The concerns raised included that flexi-work would affect family life, that it would cause people to lose their day of worship, and that flexi-work would make each day of the week a work day.
But Mr. Dalley has sought to allay those fears.
"The central element of flexi-work arrangements is that a worker can work his or her 40 hours at anytime during the work week."
Mr. Dalley said that the reappointment of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament to discuss the matter signals that it should be settled.
He said: "I' am appealing to the parties ... let us finally once and for all approve and go ahead with the flexi-work arrangements."
Meanwhile, Minister Dalley also issued a strong warning to multinational firms that have failed to train Jamaicans to acquire top positions in these firms.
"There are some noted multinationals operating in Jamaica with expatriates occupying top executive posts in Jamaica and I want to emphasise that the Ministry will not be renewing work permits indefinitely. Where our investigations show that no efforts have been made to train Jamaicans for these jobs, the work permits will not be renewed."
