Williams lauds JCSA for sterling work in public sector
Published:Tuesday | May 8, 2018 | 12:00 AMRomario Scott/Gleaner Writer
Minister Without portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Fayval Williams, has hailed the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) for its continued service to national development while advocating for the rights of workers.
Speaking at a men's forum organised by the JCSA and held under the theme 'The Trade Union at a Crossroad: Its Relevance in a Modern Society', Williams said that the JCSA has pursued a dynamic path in the interest of its members throughout the years.
However, she said that there was much more work to be done in the coming years to help increase the quality of service in the public sector, as the country turned on to a growth path.
GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEX RANKING
"As a result of the JCSA's pioneering activities and advocacy, Jamaica's performance on the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index has been continually improving.
"Jamaica is now ranked 70th out of 137 countries from 86th 10 years ago. I also want to note that in the last five years, there had been a positive upward trend, and most of that has to be attributed to the work of the public sector," Williams said.
She said that the collaboration between the trade unions and the administration established and advanced the public-sector transformation and modernisation programme that is intended to address state inefficiency. This is a testament to the evolving role and importance of the labour movement, Williams noted.
"As a democratic society that champions the rights of individual persons, our country affirms the role of trade unions in their remit to enhance the rights of workers in the workplace. As such, trade unions must have a role in modern society," the minister said.
Williams identified five main factors that were being worked on to improve the overall public-sector service delivery in the country.
The first is business facilitation and customer service, and the second is integrating information and communication technology. The other three factors, Williams indicated, were public-sector human resource development and management; resource management and accountability; and administrative efficiency.