Labour Day gets underway

The Government has allocated some $4 million for the National Labour Day activity and the main parish projects to take place across the island today.

The funds are to be used to improve and upgrade recreational sites, parks and play areas for children in keeping with the theme 'Labour of Love: Nurturing our Children'.

Acting Principal Director for Culture and Creative Industries in the Ministry of Youth and Culture Dr Janice Lindsay said the parish councils would receive $2 million to assist with the parish projects. The remainder of the money will go towards rehabilitation of the Rudolph Elder Park in Morant Bay, St Thomas, which is the designated National Labour Day project this year.

"Even though we have allocated some $4 million for Labour Day, the money is just a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed to complete them," she said, as she called for the generosity of sponsors and volunteers to ensure the success of the various undertakings.

Lindsay said several public- and private-sector entities have pledged their support to the national project, with the South African High Commission donating concrete benches and tables for the Rudolph Elder Park.

Other sponsors include the National Housing Trust, First Heritage Co-operative Credit Union, Jamaica Money Market Brokers, Purity Bakery Jamaica, Office of Disaster Prepared-ness and Emergency Management, Island Dairies Limited Jamaica, Caribbean Broilers Jamaica Limited, Barco Caribbean Limited, Berger Paints, and EdgeChem Jamaica Limited.