KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Labour and Social Security Dr Fenton Ferguson today described trade unionist Lloyd Goodleigh as a “brilliant, erudite, and articulate professional”, while expressing deep regret at his passing.

Goodleigh died earlier today at the Andrews Memorial Hospital in Kingston.

Ferguson said Goodleigh was a tireless advocate for the labouring class in the Caribbean and Jamaica, in particular.

The minister said that as a former general secretary of the National Workers Union (NWU) and president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Union (JCTU), Goodleigh dedicated his entire life to improving the conditions of workers, advancing their rights and issues, and advocating for social and political change in their interest.

“As president of the Caribbean Congress of Labour, he played a pivotal role in empowering the working class in the region,” Ferguson said in a statement. “In the Jamaican Senate, he dedicated himself to protecting the poor and vulnerable and to building a better and stronger society.”

Goodleigh contributed significantly to labour market reform in Jamaica. He was a member of the original committee chaired by Professor George Eaton, which had presented an Interim Report in 1996 regarding recommendations for comprehensive Labour Market Reform in the country, Ferguson continued.

“It is no surprise, therefore, that Mr Goodleigh became a dynamic force on the revised Labour Market Reform Commission which was charged earlier this year with the task of modernising the labour market and enhancing competitiveness, efficiency and productivity in the Jamaican economy,” he said. “Mr Goodleigh served as national coordinator up to the time of his passing.

Ferguson said he was a distinguished contemporary of outstanding labour stalwarts such as the late Michael Manley and Hugh Shearer, as well as Hopeton Caven, Clive Dobson and Roosevelt Walker.

He was, for many years, the representative for the Jamaican labour movement at the International Labour Organization (ILO) and made significant contributions at its annual General Assemblies in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to the minister, Goodleigh was an unrelenting supporter of the principle of tripartism, a fundamental tenet of the ILO in which Government, employers’ organisations and workers organisations strive together in dialogue and cooperation to foster sustainable economic development and social progress.

“He doggedly promoted the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda, seeking to ensure that workers and citizens were kept abreast of changing demands and new challenges in the labour market,” Ferguson noted.

“The Ministry of Labour and Social Security salutes this trade union leader par excellence and extends condolences to his wife and family and the wider trade union movement. May his soul rest in peace,” Ferguson said.