Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

THE TRADE union movement is already staking its claim from the incoming Prime Minister.

The movement wants the leader to recognise the importance of labour and human resource development as a critical component of the development process.

Danny Roberts, vice president of the National Workers Union, told The Sunday Gleaner that the new Prime Minister should "see a role for the trade union movement as a critical stakeholder and social partner in the development process."

"Such a Prime Minister should have a deep appreciation for the dynamics of globalization and can firmly advocate Jamaica's position as part of a region to advancing the cause of developing countries like ours," he said.

Senator Dwight Nelson, president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions, said that the trade union had an extremely good relationship with Prime Minister P.J. Patterson who he said always made himself available to resolve issues.

"The trade union movement is under siege and the rights of the trade union are being eroded and you will expect that the new Prime Minister will seek to protect the rights of the workers," said Senator Nelson.

"We expect continued support for the principles of social dialogue," said Lambert Brown, president of University and Allied Workers' Union, when asked what he expects from the new Prime Minister.

He wants the new Prime Minister to closely examine the issues of productivity incentives that would be tax-free and look at continuing the process of improving the labour laws that will protect the workers.

Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

THE JAMAICA Teachers' Association (JTA) president and the Opposition spokesman on education have several expectations of the new Prime Minister as it relates to education.

One of the immediate priorities they say, is for the new Prime Minister to find adequate funds to transform the education system.

In 2004, Prime Minister P.J Patterson commissioned a 14-member task force to recommend ways of improving the education system.

The Dr. Rae Davis-led team made several sweeping recommendations and noted that it would take $52 billion per year to transform the education system (inclusive of the $38 billion that is allocated to education each year).

But to date, only $5 billion has been allocated to finance the transformation process.

"The transformation of the education system is critical and we want the new person to provide the level of funding," said Ruel Reid, president of the JTA.

While opposition spokesman on education, Andrew Holness, wants the government to find the money to fund transformation process; he does not believe that the new Prime Minster will be willing to acquire the funds.

"I do not believe that the new person will be strong enough or willing enough... (because) it would require a massive relocation of funds," Mr. Holness said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Reid told The Sunday Gleaner that he wants the JTA to be actively involved in all polices relating to education.

But Mr. Holness said he does not foresee any major policies on education because the task force on education "did a very comprehensive job, as to what is needed to transform the education system,"

The JTA president also said the new Prime Minister should focus on early childhood education, as well as address the rising incidence of crime and violence in schools.

Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter

LAST YEAR, a total of 188 women were murdered in Jamaica compared to 141 in 2004 and 87 in 2003. Of the 188 women who fell at the hand of violence, 49 were killed in domestic murders, a significant decrease from the 317 in 2004.

Not only were women brutally murdered, but they also fell victims of rape, with 746 reported cases last year, a slight decrease from the 860 reported cases in 2004.

Against this background, The Sunday Gleaner spoke to two women's organisations about their expectations of the new Prime Minister.

"We would like to see a support for gender equality and women's rights in every area of Government, in their policies and programmes," said Carol Sewell, president of Woman Inc.

According to Ms. Sewell, the support should specifically relate to the mandate of Woman Inc., which is to provide counselling for victims of rape, incest and domestic violence.

The establishment of shelters in every parish, she said, would provide a broader framework for the protection of these victims.

Additionally, Ms. Sewell said that she would like to see a completion of the sexual harassment legislation.

For their part, Women's Media Watch (WMW), hopes the new Prime Minister will implement the measures and strategies proposed in the Manifesto for the Prevention of Sexual Injustice which was submitted to the Government in 2002 by a coalition of 21 organisations.

Both Woman Inc.. and Women's Media Watch, are calling on the new Prime Minister to sign the optional protocol for the Convention on the Elimination of forms of Discrimination Against Women.

"In going forward with their policies, I believe the new Prime Minister should make reference to the women's manifesto of 2002, in which we set out a really broad framework for gender-based guidelines for legal and policy reform," Ms. Sewell said.

Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE CURTAILMENT of crime, the implementation of a workable tax compliance system and an overhaul of the justice system are some of the issues business leaders in western Jamaica want to see get priority attention under a new leader of the PNP.

"If it is the same job, it can't have different standards for different people so my expectations for the four candidates were the same," said Mark Kerr-Jarrett, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce. "The new leader must be committed to fixing up Jamaica and getting it working again."

Mr. Kerr-Jarrett wants to see quick and decisive action taken to bring crime under control, a sentiment, which was also echoed by his Negril Chamber of Commerce counterpart Wayne Cummings, who said "The new leader has to fix this crime problem and restore the nation's image. At present, some investors see Jamaica as damaged goods because of the crime and if we are to survive and become a better Jamaica, we must take whatever steps are necessary to change that image."