KINGSTON, Jamaica — The main building at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security at 1F North Street, Kingston will be named in honour of former prime minister Portia Simpson Miller in recognition of her contribution to the “welfare and upliftment of Jamaican workers”.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, made the announcement on Tuesday during a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives, where she announced plans for Workers Week and Labour Day 2025.

Grange also announced that the National Insurance Building at National Heroes Circle will be named the Lynden Gladstone Newland Building in honour of his work in the field of labour and social security. Newland’s legacy includes co-founding the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and serving as Minister of Labour and National Insurance from 1962-1972, when he introduced the National Insurance Scheme.

Simpson Miller was the first female president of the People’s National Party and the first woman to serve as prime minister of Jamaica from 2011-2016. She was the longstanding Member of Parliament for St Andrew South Western, and before that, a councillor in what is now the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation.

Grange said the naming of the buildings is “in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the movement for the rights and proper working conditions of Jamaican workers”.

Workers Week will commence with a church service on Sunday, May 18, at the Holiness Christian Church at Port Henderson Road in Portmore, St Catherine, beginning at 9:30 am. It will conclude with Labour Day.

The focus this year is on the environment and as such, the theme for the week is “Protect the Environment: Our Land, Our Duty, Our Future”.

The slogan is “Jamaica Nice, Protect Wi Paradise”.

The national project this year will focus on the establishment of the Environmental and Research Park at Maison River in Clarendon.

“Maison River is an area of environmental awareness and protection that has gained international recognition over time. In 2022, the area was designated a Protected National Heritage Area under the Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act (1991) and a Protected National Heritage Site under the Jamaica National Heritage Trust Act (1985). The site was also declared a game sanctuary in 1998 under the Wildlife Protection Act (1945). More recently, in 2011, the site gained recognition as a wetland of international significance, becoming Jamaica’s fourth Ramsar Site under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands,” Grange told the House.

“These designations underscore the property’s national significance as a heritage area, rich and unique in biodiversity as well as for the vital ecosystem services it provides. The Maison River Protected Area plays an essential role in the lives and livelihoods of surrounding and wider communities, offering numerous ecosystem services, including water regulation, carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling, biodiversity support, as well as providing recreational and cultural value,” Grange added.