Contract work is ‘unjust’ for normal employment

WESTERN BUREAU:

Collin Virgo, the assistant general secretary of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), is again calling for an end to contract work arrangements in the labour force, saying the practice is unjust.

Virgo, who was speaking on behalf of the union at last Friday’s ceremony in Blenheim, Hanover, to mark the 139th birthday of National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante, founder of the BITU, said he will not stop calling for an end to the contract work arrangement until his call is heeded.

“I come here (Blenheim) every year, and I will not stop saying it until it is done … we must do away with this business of contract work. Contract work is one of the greatest injustices ever done to the Jamaican worker and it is setting back what people like Sir Alexander Bustamante fought so hard for,” said Virgo.

The contract work arrangement, which is commonly used in Jamaica, denies workers of many work benefits, which are enjoyed by full-time workers who have trade union protections. Contract workers do not get sick leave, maternity leave, and other benefits, among other things.

In his address at last year’s 138th anniversary of Sir Alexander’s birth, Virgo called on the Government to immediately take action to end contract work, saying without industrial relations protection, workers’ rights are not being recognised.

He also pointed out that Jamaica is a signatory to the International Labour Organization convention, which is mandated to protect workers’ rights, noting that part of the convention states that contract work is limited to three conditions, namely seasonal work, supplemental work, and fixed-term projects.

In an interview with The Gleaner following last Friday’s ceremony, he was quite emphatic in declaring that the BITU will remain resolute in its bid to protect workers’ rights in both the public and private sectors.

“We have had some amount of success. However, we are still not easing up until this business of contract work is eliminated everywhere, including for workers that the union does not represent,” said Virgo. “Employing persons under a contract work arrangement amounts to depriving individuals of an opportunity to build a good life.”

According to Virgo, using contract work as a normal means of employment is an abuse of their rights, and he wants the current government to take steps to end the practice.

“I am very passionate about this matter and will always be lobbying against its use whenever and wherever I get an opportunity,” said Virgo.