JAMAICAN Gov't urged to speed up paternity leave legislation by Danny Roberts, Head of the Hugh Shearer Labour Studies Institute

Danny Roberts, Head of HLSI & PALAS Director

Sunday, January 13, 2019

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Head of the Hugh Shearer Labour Studies Institute, Danny Roberts, is calling on the Government to speed-up the passage of legislation necessary to provide a statutory right to paternity leave for Jamaican men at the workplace.

He noted that paternity leave provisions are becoming more common across the globe and reflect evolving views about the importance of fatherhood in a child's development.

Roberts made the call for the speeding up of the legislation on Sexual Harassment and Occupational Safety and Health as this year marks the centennial celebrations of the International Labour Organisation and the 100 anniversary of the passing of the Trade Union Act of 1919.

He said the year should also be used to review a number of other labour legislations, including the Maternity Leave Law, where ILO standards now set the minimum period at 14 weeks, and the Labour Relations Code to strengthen the procedural measures relevant to disciplinary procedures.

According to Roberts, enshrining a statutory right to paid paternity leave by way of legislation would signal the value the government places on the care work of women and men and would help to advance gender equality. more