Opposition calls on Government to end short term contract system

Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism and Linkages Andrea Purkiss is calling on the Government to end the short term contract system which she says has been an injustice to hotel workers for far too long.

Ms Purkiss said up to 90 percent of Jamaica’s hotel workers are employed on rolling short-term contracts of three, six, or twelve months at a time.

She said this is a deliberate strategy used by large overseas-based hotel operators to prevent workers from qualifying for the employment protections guaranteed under the Employment (Termination and Redundancy Payments) Act of 1974.

The opposition spokesperson expressed that Hurricane Melissa has exposed just how cruel this trap is, noting that workers who have given years of loyal service to the same property now face the possibility that their hurricane-era contract simply will not be renewed.

She said many of these workers cannot properly benefit from the national insurance scheme they have faithfully contributed to, nor can they access bank loans or secure mortgages.