Trade unionists welcome naming of Labour Ministry building in honour of Portia Simpson Miller

 

Two union bosses have welcomed the renaming of the main building of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security on North Street in Kingston in honour of former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

 

Culture Minister Olivia Grange made the announcement during Tuesday's sitting of the House of Representatives while speaking about activities to mark Workers' Week 2025. 

 

Mrs. Simpson Miller, a former Minister of Labour and Social Security, is credited with improving labour relations and advancing the increase of the minimum wage through supportive legislation. 

 

President of the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE), Vincent Morrison, said Mrs. Simpson Miller worked tirelessly to expand the farm work programme.

 

"There is no question that Portia Simpson Miller has been a dynamic force in the whole landscape of industrial relations in Jamaica. During her tenure, we got effective, prompt, and solid representation from her. When I say we, I am referring to the trade union movement and the employers. We recall vividly her work among the bauxite and aluminium workers, the sugar workers, the petroleum tankers drivers among several other groups."

 

Helene Davis Whyte, head of the Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO), said Mrs. Simpson Miller's time at the Labour Ministry was commendable and impactful.

 

"She was successful in getting our industrial relations climate to a state where we...had more understanding between the social partners. Her love for the workers was demonstrated. I would have had situations where we had disputes at the ministry and Mrs. Simpson Miller would always be on standby to see if her intervention was necessary. And whenever her intervention was deemed necessary and she came in, we could just see her interacting with our delegates. And out of that, you got a lot of trust being built between workers and the employers as well," she recalled. 

 

The National Insurance Building at National Heroes Circle will be named the Lynden Gladstone Newland Building. He served as Minister of Labour and the National Insurance from 1962 to 1972 and introduced the National Insurance Scheme.