Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller yesterday defended the government’s approval of a high number of work permits to foreign workers, saying that she would not put national development on hold.

“I note with interest that some people, because there are talks of election, would love for me to put development on hold. For me, no election or anything else in his country will put development on hold,” the prime minister told the public session of the 28th congress of the National Workers Union (NWU) at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

Simpson Miller was reacting to the controversy surrounding the response given by minister of labour and social security, Derrick Kellier, to questions from Jamaica Labour Party labour spokesman, Ruddy Spencer, in Parliament last Tuesday about the number of work permits issued to foreigners between January and August this year.

Kellier admitted that there had been lapses in the issuing of the work permits, including failure to advertise the jobs locally prior to the approvals.

Spencer chided the minister for issuing over 2,000 work permits to persons within the construction sector without advertising them, and also for issuing a significant number of work permits to exotic (go-go) dancers from abroad.

But yesterday the prime minister tried to play down the issue, stating that it didn’t make sense not training Jamaicans for the jobs and then complaining.

“It doesn’t make any sense we do not prepare, have our people trained, and then we complain about people coming in to do the job, because we cannot stop development,” the prime minister said.

She praised the trade unions for the level of unity they had been able to achieve through the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) and questioned why the political parties were unable to achieve the same level of solidarity.

“All Jamaicans should be proud of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions,” she said, singling out current JCTU president Senator Dwight Nelson for particular attention.

“The big question I want to ask is, if workers’ organisations can come together in peace and harmony, even as they compete for the right of representation, why cannot political parties come together in peace and harmony in the interest of the people?” Simpson Miller said.

“I am convinced that the great majority of individuals who enter politics come with a good heart. They genuinely want to serve the Jamaican people and make a positive difference,” she said. “So, I think all of us should use the example of the trade union leaders and the employers and the delegates and all of us work together for the betterment of this country, Jamaica, land we love.”

She said that she was determined to stop Jamaicans killing each other and to have Jamaicans continue living as one people.

Simpson Miller committed herself to a disciplined election campaign and called on the NWU delegates to help her carry a message of peace to every workplace.