Gov’t urged to press CARICOM on free movement of workers

WEEKS AWAY from the annual meeting of CARICOM heads, one Jamaican legislator has made it clear that the Government here must insist that its regional counterparts amend their laws to facilitate free movement of workers or threaten them with protectionist policies.

Yesterday, officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security complained to Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee that while Jamaica has taken steps to make it easier for CARICOM nationals with skills certificates to work in Jamaica, other countries are refusing to do so.

Artistes, musicians, university graduates, media workers, medical and sports persons were the first groups of persons allowed to use their regional skills certificate and travel freely to work in any of the 12 nations that are members of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

STATES SLOW TO MAKE CHANGES

The categories have now grown to 10, but Lisa Grant, the director of permits in the ministry, said that most CARICOM states have not made the changes to their laws to accommodate the additional five categories, which comprise teachers, nurses, artisans, domestic workers, and holders of diplomas or associate degrees.

“You find that our nationals, if they have moved, for example, with a skills certificate as a domestic worker to, say, a member state such as Trinidad or Barbados, because they have not amended their legislation to recognise that category, unfortunately, our nationals are challenged. They have to get what we refer to across the region as an extension of stay,” she said.

“Even when our (Jamaica) laws were not yet amended, in the spirit of CARICOM, we, administratively, allowed the additional five categories. Unfortunately, we are still challenged by the fact that other member states don’t quite see things the way we see it.”