KINGSTON (JIS) -- Members of the public are invited to a panel discussion on the ‘New world of work’, on Wednesday, May 18, at the Liguanea Club from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lecturer in Sociology at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona and Talk Show Host, Dr. Orville Taylor, will host the discussion, which is one of the main activities to mark National Workers’ Week.‘Has globalisation and the digital revolution treated workers kindly’, is a topic to be explored. “The discussion seeks to underscore the point that for human development to take place, it is critical that there is balance,” Director, Child Labour Unit at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MOLSS) and member of the National Planning Committee for National Workers’ Week and Labour Day, Marva Pringle Ximinnies, said at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, today (May 17).
She added that it will bring into focus the different information and communication technologies, their advantages and disadvantages, and how to mitigate against any hazards or risks that they may pose to workers.
Other topics to be discussed include: ‘Globalisation and how it impacts workers’; ‘Technology – its impacts and opportunities’; ‘Ensuring that there is job creation and social protection’; ‘Protection of workers’ rights’; ‘Gender equity in the workplace and youth unemployment’.
The event will be held under the patronage of the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson; Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange and Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green.
Panelists will be drawn from the Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF); the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU); and the HEART Trust/NTA. There will also be a youth representative.
The Ministries will be collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to share information on their 2015 Global Human Development Report – ‘Rethinking the world of work for human development’.
National Workers’ Week began on May 15 and will culminate on Labour Day, May 23.