KINGSTON, Jamaica — There are now 104 cases before the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT), following the referral of 39 new disputes by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Karl Samuda.

Samuda made the disclosure on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate.

Of the total, 65 cases were brought forward from the 2020/21 calendar year.

Of the new disputes, 15 included unionised workers. Overall, 89 cases involve non-unionised workers. Of the disputes heard, 27 have been settled by awards, 77 disputes remain unsettled, eleven are before the courts and 66 are pending.

Fifteen cases were allocated to the IDT West. Of this, seven are pending and one matter is before the Court for Judicial Review. Awards were handed down in the other seven cases.

Samuda told the House that one of the IDT’s priorities for 2022/2023 is to improve and fully implement virtual hearings as a permanent option for stakeholders.

“It is expected that this move will help to reduce the cancellation of hearings and minimise the overall disruption of matters before the Tribunal,” he said.

The minister noted that the IDT’s performance has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as some members and the parties that appear before the Tribunal are demographically in the high-risk category. It was able to hold meetings virtually.

Samuda also noted that the IDT has responsibility for the preservation of the rights of both the worker and the employer.

“The Tribunal gives the normal wage earner and employers the opportunity of having their work-related disputes ventilated outside of the court system. This arbitration machinery has comparable importance to the Parish Court and allows worker representatives, including trade unions, to present their cases to a competent authority,” said Samuda.

The IDT continues to be a specialised arbitration body hearing industrial disputes relating to essential services, contentious wage and fringe benefits negotiations, determination of representational rights and other matters of national importance.

Meanwhile, Samuda has committed to take steps in the upcoming financial year, through the Labour Advisory Council, to engage the tripartite on suggestions to improve the timeliness for dispute settlement and other administrative enhancements. This will include greater use of digital technology for expeditious settlement.