Opposition senator wants Employment Act review

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

Opposition Senator Kavan Gayle has called for a review of the Employment (Termination and Redundancy Payments) Act.

Gayle yesterday brought to the Senate a motion urging the Government to set up a joint parliamentary committee to facilitate required amendment to the law by conducting a review.

Gayle argued that inadequacies remain in the legislation. He argued that there was a lack of defined procedures to establish the reasons for planned redundancies, the criteria to be used in selecting those positions to be made redundant and a requirement for consultation prior to formal notice being served.

Reading from the motion, Gayle also suggested that the law must make provisions for the general protection of the workers whose positions are to be made redundant.

He referred to the lack of a defined period within which redundancy payments shall be made and the lack of any provision to make the employer ultimately responsible where a contractor or subcontractor is unable or fails to meet the obligations of the law.

Gayle said it must be noted that the original legislation was intended to address the need to ensure adequate compensation for workers who lose their jobs after various periods of service to an employer without any compensation, as well to address the need to legislate for protection of workers who did not have the benefit of trade-union advocacy.