Balford Henry, Senior Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be taking more drastic steps against the illegal recruitment of Jamaican workers for the United States (H2B) Hospitality or Hotel Workers Programme.
Minister Donald Buchanan said last Friday night said the illegal recruitment have been going on for some time, but his Ministry will have to introduce more effective measures against the practice.
The Minister's decision seems to have been triggered by a request made by American hotel industry employers at the February 8 meeting between the Regional Labour Board (RLB), the governing body of the West Indian Farm Worker Pro-gramme, and the American employers and agents involved in the programme, that the workers sent by the Ministry pay their own fares from and to Jamaica.
Workers recruited by the Ministry for the programme have their plane fares paid by the employers. But, those outside the programme have to find their own fares, accommodation and are without both insurance coverage and the protection of the Ministry's liaison offices. They, however, can work with any hotel they wish and even work two jobs, while those on the programme must work for the employer who has contracted them.
The American employers have been saying that since the workers brought in by the illegal agencies pay their own fares, they should also not be responsible for plane fares of those coming through the Hospitality or Hotel Workers Programme.
There are about 6,000 Jamaicans currently employed by hotels in the programme, of which only 4,600 are registered in the official programme run by the Ministry. There are three local employment agencies which are officially registered and can recruit these workers, but it is felt that the majority of the recruitments outside the Ministry are done by illegal agencies.
Mr. Buchanan said that it has been happening for some time and that efforts by his Ministry's Manpower Services Division are frustrated by the illegal agencies opening up at new locations as soon as they are closed down. But he said that new measures to be introduced would seek to keep them closed.
