The Government of Jamaica is currently in talks with Chinese investors about reducing the need for imported labour, so says Prime Minister Andrew Holness. The goal is to encourage the Chinese to utilize more local labour on their projects.
Prime Minister Holness said that this move would include a commitment to train Jamaicans in the skills for which the foreign firms currently import workers from their home countries, as it would be more profitable to use Jamaican workers than taking labour from China.
“We must make it such that it is unprofitable for the Chinese companies to bring their own labour here because our labour is good enough or better to do the job,” he said. He was speaking at last Saturday's (July 15, 2017) public session of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union's (BITU) Triennial General Assembly at the Wolmer's High School for Boys in Kingston.
His comments were in response to complaints which had been made by several unions, including the BITU, about conditions, primarily on construction sites operated by Chinese contractors, including a preference for workers imported from China.
The Prime Minister pointed out that with only three per cent of GDP available for programmes to generate growth, the government had no option but to seek private investments, including foreign direct investments. He said:
“If the economy is to grow, Jamaica cannot grow on the three per cent of GDP available to us. We have to find smart ways of dealing with foreign direct investments, and one of the biggest foreign investors in Jamaica right now is China. So we have to contend with Chinese investments.”
He however noted that the investments sometimes have conditions, including the need for Chinese labour with certain technical skills. But he asserted that this is only allowed in areas where Jamaicans do not have the skills or the competence that is needed.
“It has always been the case that when Chinese investments are being done, that it meets up to and complies with the standards set in Jamaica. And every Chinese company that comes here has to interact with the Government, if it is on a bilateral level they are doing the projects, and I am ensuring that the message goes out to them. But they point out to me, sometimes, that there may be some technical skills needed in some areas.
“So here is what I am saying to the Minister of Labour and to my Cabinet: We must make it such that it is unprofitable for the Chinese companies to bring their labour here, because our labour is good enough or better to do the job.
“It can't be that you have to fly in hundreds of workers half-way around the world, pay to keep them here and still do the job more profitably than if you were using Jamaican labour. That shouldn't be the case. So the government has a duty to ensure that our labour is trained, that our labour is certified and that our labour also not only has the competence, but the discipline,” Holness said.
He also revealed to persons at the meeting that he has been speaking with the Chinese companies, and that the government has made it clear that, in terms of projects going forward, there must be a training component.
“… If it's new technology being used, or new practices or new techniques, our workers must learn them. Our workers must come up to scratch so that the next [round] of projects the Chinese company can't say to us that the need is in this area of skill, or that area of skill, because we would have had all our workers trained in a structured way, waiting to fill the positions,” he stated.
“So being involved in foreign direct investments is inevitable. It must happen and it is going to happen it is in our interest but it is not necessary that at all times the investment has to be tied to the importation of labour.
“If our workers are working efficiently and productively it will always be more profitable to use Jamaican labour, and we are going to make it so by the efficiency, the productivity and the discipline of the workers who are hired on Chinese construction projects, or any other project for that matter,” added the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Holness also explained that the training programme being considered by the government would also entail personal and character development, and related to an understanding of punctuality and job discipline, “...and getting to the point where they understand that work is not a joke business: work is serious business.
“Once that mentality starts to pervade the labour force, then there is no investor that is going to come here and want to carry their own labour. They are going to say that Jamaican labour is the best labour,” he declared.
“I have all the confidence that we can do it because when I travel elsewhere, I visit plants where Jamaicans are working and the managers say to me, 'Jamaicans are the best workers.. If we can do it abroad, we can do it at home,” he said.
Prime Minister Holness said that this move would include a commitment to train Jamaicans in the skills for which the foreign firms currently import workers from their home countries, as it would be more profitable to use Jamaican workers than taking labour from China.
“We must make it such that it is unprofitable for the Chinese companies to bring their own labour here because our labour is good enough or better to do the job,” he said. He was speaking at last Saturday's (July 15, 2017) public session of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union's (BITU) Triennial General Assembly at the Wolmer's High School for Boys in Kingston.
His comments were in response to complaints which had been made by several unions, including the BITU, about conditions, primarily on construction sites operated by Chinese contractors, including a preference for workers imported from China.
The Prime Minister pointed out that with only three per cent of GDP available for programmes to generate growth, the government had no option but to seek private investments, including foreign direct investments. He said:
“If the economy is to grow, Jamaica cannot grow on the three per cent of GDP available to us. We have to find smart ways of dealing with foreign direct investments, and one of the biggest foreign investors in Jamaica right now is China. So we have to contend with Chinese investments.”
He however noted that the investments sometimes have conditions, including the need for Chinese labour with certain technical skills. But he asserted that this is only allowed in areas where Jamaicans do not have the skills or the competence that is needed.
“It has always been the case that when Chinese investments are being done, that it meets up to and complies with the standards set in Jamaica. And every Chinese company that comes here has to interact with the Government, if it is on a bilateral level they are doing the projects, and I am ensuring that the message goes out to them. But they point out to me, sometimes, that there may be some technical skills needed in some areas.
“So here is what I am saying to the Minister of Labour and to my Cabinet: We must make it such that it is unprofitable for the Chinese companies to bring their labour here, because our labour is good enough or better to do the job.
“It can't be that you have to fly in hundreds of workers half-way around the world, pay to keep them here and still do the job more profitably than if you were using Jamaican labour. That shouldn't be the case. So the government has a duty to ensure that our labour is trained, that our labour is certified and that our labour also not only has the competence, but the discipline,” Holness said.
He also revealed to persons at the meeting that he has been speaking with the Chinese companies, and that the government has made it clear that, in terms of projects going forward, there must be a training component.
“… If it's new technology being used, or new practices or new techniques, our workers must learn them. Our workers must come up to scratch so that the next [round] of projects the Chinese company can't say to us that the need is in this area of skill, or that area of skill, because we would have had all our workers trained in a structured way, waiting to fill the positions,” he stated.
“So being involved in foreign direct investments is inevitable. It must happen and it is going to happen it is in our interest but it is not necessary that at all times the investment has to be tied to the importation of labour.
“If our workers are working efficiently and productively it will always be more profitable to use Jamaican labour, and we are going to make it so by the efficiency, the productivity and the discipline of the workers who are hired on Chinese construction projects, or any other project for that matter,” added the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Holness also explained that the training programme being considered by the government would also entail personal and character development, and related to an understanding of punctuality and job discipline, “...and getting to the point where they understand that work is not a joke business: work is serious business.
“Once that mentality starts to pervade the labour force, then there is no investor that is going to come here and want to carry their own labour. They are going to say that Jamaican labour is the best labour,” he declared.
“I have all the confidence that we can do it because when I travel elsewhere, I visit plants where Jamaicans are working and the managers say to me, 'Jamaicans are the best workers.. If we can do it abroad, we can do it at home,” he said.
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References
Quotes obtained from: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/gov-8217-t-starts-discussions-with-chinese-investors-about-importation-of-workers_105137
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