Labour Ministry and Household Workers Union Sign MoU on Training and Workplace Safety

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Jamaica Household Workers Union have signed a memorandum of understanding that officials are calling a landmark pact to deepen cooperation on skills training, occupational safety, health awareness and public education.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr revealed the agreement on Tuesday while speaking in the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

Charles Jr noted that the union is marking 35 years of advocacy and representation this year. He also told the chamber that "Jamaica will establish the first dedicated training institution for domestic workers in the entire Caribbean".

"Further, we remain committed to advancing the framework to honour the obligations under the ILO (International Labour Organisation) Domestic Workers Convention C189 – a global convention adopted to protect the rights of domestic workers," the minister added.

"These transformational steps will professionalise domestic work, strengthen employability and provide pathways for advancement," he said.

Charles Jr told Parliament that the work of domestic workers is still too often taken for granted.

"We want to salute them. They care for our children, they support our elderly, they maintain our homes and help to sustain the wider economy yet, for far too long, many have remained outside formal recognition and protection," said the labour minister.