Portia Simpson Miller Honoured as Labour Ministry Building Gets New Name

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security building at 1F North Street in Kingston has been given the name of former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller.

The Labour Ministry carried out the renaming with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, paying tribute to Mrs. Simpson Miller’s record as Minister of Labour and to her broader role in Jamaica’s development. The honour is being done under the Jamaica Legacy Project.

Mrs. Simpson Miller held the Labour portfolio from 1989 until February 2000. Across that period, her responsibilities at different times also covered Welfare, Sports and Social Security. Her time in that area of government was associated with close attention to workers, social protection and the rights and well-being of Jamaican people.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, gave the keynote address at Tuesday’s May 26 renaming ceremony. He said the event reflected “respect, remembrance and national gratitude” for a leader whose career in public life showed “perseverance, compassion, courage, and deep connection to the Jamaican people”.

Dr. Holness said the Ministry of Labour and Social Security has an important role in public administration, serving workers, pensioners, people in vulnerable circumstances, employers, unions, persons with disabilities and Jamaicans looking for opportunity and support.

He said Workers’ Week was an appropriate time for the renaming, given Mrs. Simpson Miller’s long link with labour matters and social welfare. The Prime Minister also traced her rise from local government representative to Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Jamaica’s first woman Prime Minister, saying that journey removed old barriers and motivated many Jamaicans, especially women and people from underserved communities.

According to Dr. Holness, Mrs. Simpson Miller brought “a language of care” into national affairs and kept a strong bond with ordinary citizens throughout her years of service.

“She understood the worker who would leave home before dawn. She understood the woman holding a household together. She understood the young person trying to find a path. She understood the elderly citizen seeking dignity after years of contribution,” Dr. Holness said. He added that those realities influenced how she approached public service and shaped social policy.

Speaking about her period at Labour and Social Security, Dr. Holness highlighted growth in the overseas employment programme, which he said opened doors for Jamaicans while helping families and communities. He said her leadership strengthened the idea that labour policy should centre dignity, fairness and progress for workers, while the State protects citizens who are most at risk.

The Prime Minister also disclosed that the Government will commission a bust and a documentary in Mrs. Simpson Miller’s honour.

“May all who work in the Portia Simpson Miller Building be guided by her example,” Dr. Holness said. “May this building stand as a monument to inclusion, perseverance, and people-centred leadership, and may Jamaica continue to produce public servants worthy of such honour,” he added.