Labour law breaches in Jamaica increased by 31.5 per cent during the 2024/25 financial year, while workplace accidents also rose by 14.1 per cent, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s latest annual report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

The report showed that thousands of workers sought intervention from the ministry over issues including dismissals, redundancy payments, holiday pay disputes, and workplace safety concerns.

According to the ministry, 2,838 breaches of the labour laws were reported to its Pay and Conditions of Employment Branch (PCEB) during the reporting period.

The ministry said breaches linked to the Employment Termination and Redundancy Payments Act (ETRPA) accounted for the largest share of complaints, with 1,253 reported cases, representing 44 per cent of the total breaches.

Another 1,184 complaints, or 42 per cent of the total, were related to breaches under the Holidays with Pay Act.

The report also outlined the financial impact of the breaches, noting that settlements totalling $72.42 million were paid to 625 individuals during the financial year.

Of that amount, $24.31 million was paid to 292 persons under the Employment Termination and Redundancy Payments Act.

The ministry said the payments included compensation relating to notice pay and redundancy matters.

The report further disclosed that 10,871 inspections were conducted under labour laws during the year, resulting in 6,664 notices being served to employers found to be in breach of regulations.

Meanwhile, workplace accidents also increased during the reporting period.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Department, 258 workplace accidents were recorded during the financial year, compared to 226 during the previous period.

The ministry stated that 121 of the reported accidents qualified for investigation, while 71 were investigated during the financial year.

It also noted that 13 special investigations were conducted at the request of employers and workers.

Despite the increase in accidents, the ministry said no fatalities were recorded among the incidents reported.

The annual report also showed a slight decline in inspection activity under the Occupational Safety and Health Department.

According to the ministry, 1,982 inspections were conducted during the financial year, representing a 4.5 per cent decrease compared to the previous reporting period.

Factory inspections accounted for the majority of the visits conducted by inspectors.

The report also pointed to continued industrial disputes across the labour sector during the year.

According to the ministry, the Industrial Relations Department recorded 136 disputes involving matters such as dismissals, wages, disciplinary action and conditions of employment.

Additionally, 16 industrial actions involving 1,546 workers were reported during the financial year.

The report stated that 40 disputes were disposed of during the period, with 42.5 per cent involving dismissal and termination matters.

Meanwhile, the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) handled 125 disputes during the financial year, representing a 10.4 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

The disputes handled by the IDT involved issues relating to dismissals, wages, industrial action, and conditions of employment, according to the report.