ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) – Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security Derrick Kellier says that steps are being taken to pass the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) legislation by December this year.

The drive to pass the legislative comes as the Government pushes its Economic Reform Programme (ERP). The move is geared at creating decent work environments for employees.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 33rd annual Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF) Business and Workplace Convention and Expo, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, in St James, Thursday, the minister also underscored the Government’s drive towards economic reform, efficient and steady growth and the promotion of a creative and “new” economy.

“Also, I hope that the Flexi Work Arrangement Act that we passed last year… that in a gradual way, the employers along with the employees are finding the mechanism to gradually make the Flex Work become an active reality in the country, so that it can improve our productivity levels and deal with the business of our competitiveness,” Kellier said.

Kellier argued that the staging of this year’s convention was timely and the theme — ‘Collaborate, Innovate – Opportunities for Growth’ —  echoed the Government’s prevailing efforts, particularly over the past three years, to create new opportunities for mutually beneficial co-operation between itself and the private sector, so as to achieve sustained economic growth, and the development of decent work environments.

The minister commended the JEF for staging the convention, and urged participants to see the possible impact of partnerships in developing decent work environments through a shared common vision capable of creating growth at the levels of the economy, the firm and the individual.

“Now is the time to build a community of common destiny by seeking win-win co-operation and common development. The old mind-set of zero-sum game should now give way to a new paradigm of win-win and all-win co-operation.

“In other words, if Jamaica — and by extension CARICOM — is to truly succeed in the 21st Century, the interests of others must be accommodated while pursuing one’s own interests, and common development must be promoted while seeking one’s own development,” he added.

The four-day convention and expo, which is the largest of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean, is being attended by more than 300 participants from the public and private sectors, as well as academia in Jamaica, the Caribbean, the United States and Canada.

Presenters will include Executive Director of the Caribbean Maritime Institute Dr Fritz Pinnock, Attorney-at-law and Industrial Relations Consultant Vanessa Thomas Williams, President and CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, LLC, Shirley Davis-Sheppard, International Development and Management Consultant Luessette Simpson-Howell and Chief Differential Officer of the Essential Message, Toronto, Canada Michael Neray.