Trade unions shape the conversation on Jamaica’s National Employment Policy

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (ILO News) - Trade unions in Jamaica are stepping decisively into the national policy space as the country advances the development of its National Employment Policy (NEP). On 21 April 2026, union leaders and representatives participated in an introductory workshop for Trade Unions on shaping Jamaica’s National Employment Policy, convened by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU).

The workshop provided an opportunity for trade unions to strengthen their understanding of national employment policies and to identify how workers’ perspectives can inform the policy as Jamaica moves from diagnosis to formulation.

Why the National Employment Policy matters

Opening the workshop, ILO Workers’ Activities Specialist Vera Guseva emphasized that employment policy must go beyond technical frameworks and macroeconomic indicators. “Employment policy has to be grounded in workers’ lived realities,” she noted, underscoring that job creation alone is not enough without decent wages, security, fairness, and inclusion.

Dexroy Martin, in his opening remarks delivered on behalf of the JCTU, stressed that the NEP must address long-standing challenges facing workers, including underemployment, insecure work, skills mismatches, and stagnant wages. For trade unions, the policy represents a critical opportunity to influence national development outcomes through social dialogue.

Understanding the NEP Framework

Abdelmalik Muhummed, ILO Employment and Labour Market Policy Specialist, guided participants through the foundations of a national employment policy, rooted in ILO Employment Policy Convention (No. 122). He explained the Convention’s three pillars: full employment, productive employment, and freely chosen employment, highlighting that quality, rights, and dignity are as central as job numbers.

He also outlined Jamaica’s NEP journey, noting that despite having stalled after 2011, the process has gained new momentum following renewed engagement with the ILO and the establishment of a tripartite steering committee. Jamaica is currently concluding the diagnostic phase, which includes four studies examining overall employment trends, gender dimensions in renewable energy and tourism, and the labour market impacts of climate shocks such as Hurricane Melissa.

What the data is telling us

The diagnostic findings presented during the workshop sparked strong interest among participants. Jamaica’s labour productivity remains low and has shown negative growth over time- an issue directly linked to low wages and weak long-term economic performance. Informal employment continues to account for more than half of the workforce, limiting access to social protection and collective representation.

Other findings pointed to significant skills mismatches, low digital intensity in many jobs, gender gaps in emerging sectors like renewable energy, and persistent challenges in tourism, where many workers particularly women face insecure employment and limited advancement opportunities.

Trade union priorities

The heart of the workshop was an interactive discussion where participants identified priority areas for trade union engagement. Youth employment emerged as a central concern, alongside skills development and lifelong learning. Participants highlighted the growing precarity faced by young workers in the digital and gig economy, as well as in sectors such as tourism and business process outsourcing (BPO).

Liveable wages, job security, and the transition from informal to formal employment were repeatedly emphasized, as was the need to link productivity improvements to decent work and wage-led growth. Gender equality, workplace safety, and protection from violence and harassment were also raised as critical cross-cutting issues.

Summarizing the discussion, the ILO highlighted four broad priority clusters for trade union action: wages and working conditions, youth employment, skills and training, and the transition to formality and social protection.

Looking ahead

The workshop concluded with a clear call to action. Trade unions were encouraged to prepare written inputs on their priorities ahead of upcoming consultations, scheduled for May. The ILO will share a summary of the workshop and continue supporting trade unions as the NEP process moves toward policy formulation.

As Jamaica advances this long-awaited employment policy, the message from the trade unions was clear: a successful NEP must be built with workers, not just for them and they are ready to play their role.