MONTEGO BAY, St James — Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders in attendance at the 31st Heads of Caricom Social Security Organisations conference have called for informal workers to be integrated into the formal system so they can access available benefits.

“Our region’s labour force is characterised by high levels of informality in work arrangements. The pandemic has had the effect of further expanding the gig economy [a labour market characterised by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs] in Jamaica and other territories.

“We must, therefore, continue to expand our efforts to promote the transitioning of our informal labour force to formality and promote participation in the national insurance and similar social protection mechanisms for the protection and benefit of all workers and our national economies,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr.

He was delivering the main address at Wednesday afternoon’s official opening of the conference at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in St James.

Similar sentiments were expressed by secretary general of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) Marcelo Caetano, who spoke of the need to “recognise and confront the persistence of the informal sector in the Caricom region”.

“These workers often face unique and pressing issues in accessing social security benefits. We must strive to ensure that our systems are inclusive, adaptable, and responsive to their needs. To this end, we provided training activity [on Tuesday] on the extension of coverage to the informal sector and related digital transformation processes that could, amongst other things, facilitate their effective access,” Caetano said in his remarks.

“But within these challenges also lie opportunities. Opportunities for innovation, for growth, and for creating systems that are better equipped to serve our populations. Together we can exploit these opportunities and craft sustainable, forward-looking solutions,” he added.

Charles Jr, who argued that the “sustainability of our social protection systems is inextricably linked to the financial stability of our social security organisations”, pointed to the National Insurance Scheme [NIS] in Jamaica as an example.

“In Jamaica, our ability to respond appropriately to the increased demand for social support to our vulnerable population during the recent crisis [COVID-19 pandemic] has been due in part to the viability of the NIS,” the labour and social security minister argued.

“This viability has been secured through a programme of significant reforms, which the NIS has been undertaking since 2019 and which has been facilitated by the support of successive Government Administrations.

“The result has been that the scheme has not only been able to avert the negative forecast which it faced, [but] it has [also] been placed firmly on a trajectory of significant growth. What now remains is for us to address the need for strengthening of the administrative arm of the scheme, and I am confident that the deliberations of the week will assist in guiding us in this regard,” he added.

Caetano also spoke of the need for collaboration among members.

“The uniqueness of this region, with its rich diversity and collective strength of its member states, underscores the significance of cooperative efforts and shared solutions that come from the region and beyond,” he said.

“Over the next three days, we will engage in profound discussions, shared experiences, and collaborate on strategies to address the pressing issues that shape the landscape of social security in the Caribbean. The challenges we face are complex and rapidly evolving. Economic shifts, demographic changes, and the enduring impact of global events all play a role in shaping our social security systems,” he added.