JCSA presses for gov't to institute occupational safety and health benefits

 

The Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) is not letting up on its advocacy for the government to institute occupational safety and health benefits. 

 

This follows last Friday's industrial action by workers at the Administrator General's Department over toxic working conditions, which they say are causing respiratory issues for several employees. 

 

The conditions forced some employees to abandon the building. 

 

JCSA President Techa Clarke-Griffiths indicated to Radio Jamaica News that several members of the union remain engaged in a flexiwork arrangement. 

 

Mrs. Clarke-Griffiths reiterated that the buildings occupied by government workers often present with several issues.

 

"We will continue to advocate for better working condition and it is full time now for the government to take occupational safety and health matters seriously. It is full time now that we be intentional about investing in our own buildings, about constructing our own buildings for government workers so that they can produce. We're talking about productivity, but there are also conditions under which workers must work and some buildings that the government occupy are not conducive to work," she contended. 

 

The JCSA president said greater attention must be given to the procurement of these rented buildings.

 

"We believe that some of the buildings that are rented, that the landlords don't really care about people. All they care about is the money, and so we now have to be intentional about constructing our own buildings to ensure that our workers - our public sector workers, who are the centre and the backbone of this country - produce in ideal working conditions," she declared.

 

The workers returned to the office on Tuesday morning after an agreement was reached with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security on Monday. 

 

Both parties will reconvene for further discussions come August.