A year-long celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) will kick-off with a church service on Sunday at Webster’s Memorial United Church in St Andrew under the theme: ‘The IDT@50: Promoting Justice, Fairness and Workplace Harmony’.

The IDT, which was established under the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act, in 1975, has as its mandate to determine and settle disputes between workers and their employers, referred to it by the minister of labour and social security, and to hand down awards in accordance with the law.

Chairman of the IDT Errol Miller said that the commemorative activities, “Reflect the purpose and scope of the tribunal to determine and settle disputes in a manner that is consistent with the statutory provisions under the Labour Relations and Industrial Relations Act, its Regulations and the Labour Relations Code”.

According to Miller, over the 50 years, “IDT awards have been tested in the courts, including the Privy Council, and they have, by and large, upheld its decisions and endorsed its jurisdictional competence in determining the outcome of disputes with due regard to fairness, equity, and the principles of natural justice”.

In the meantime, Danny Roberts, chairman of the IDT’s 50th Anniversary Committee, noted that the activities will be two-fold.

“We must first have activities that pay tribute to the staff, past and present, for their significant contribution to preserving the integrity and mandate of the tribunal, and second, to bring to the attention of the public an understanding of the historical context that gave rise to the establishment of the tribunal, its true mandate, and thus an appreciation of the significance of its awards in balancing the interests of employers and workers,” said Roberts.

ROBERTS… wants to bring to the attention off the public the historical context that gave rise to the establishment of the IDT.

The events to mark the anniversary celebration will include a luncheon and long-service awards to be held in July with Justice David Batts as the guest speaker.

A high-level symposium will be held later in the year in western Jamaica bringing together tripartite representatives and academics to discuss and exchange knowledge, research findings, and fostering in-depth exploration of Jamaica’s labour laws, the Labour Relations Code and the role and purpose of the IDT.

The tribunal also plans to host a discussion forum among tertiary institutions and 6th formers, as well as guest lecturing at tertiary institutions including The University of the West Indies, Mona School of Business; and the Norman Manley Law School.