Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton, during his contributions to the 2023 budget debate on Monday, revealed that his Ministry has been successful in recovering a total of $40 million for aggrieved workers following a large number of complaints received last year.
In 2022, the Labour Department received a total of 913 complaints, of which 85% were successfully resolved.
While he did not reveal what the monies were recovered for, it was previously reported that the Ministry was in receipt of a wide range of complaints such as wages, overtime, severance, annual leave and payment in lieu of notice of termination.
It was also revealed that of some 867 complaints received by the Ministry, more than 20% were made against security companies.
Meanwhile, during his budget debates presentation, Minister Hamilton noted that the government continues to take steps to ensure workers’ rights are respected.
In this regard, he noted that the Ministry has countersigned a number of collective labour agreements between 23 unions and employers.
Additionally, Hamilton disclosed that the Ministry has recorded a significant decrease in workplace deaths last year when compared to the 32 deaths that were recorded in 2020.
“In 2022, the amount of workplace deaths…was decreased again by 20%. In two years, we are moving from a place where in 2020, 32 persons lost their lives in workplaces, [in] 2022 that has decreased to 21 and the work continues,” Hamilton remarked.
