Kingston, 5 May 2022 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, The Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced that in keeping with Jamaica’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, “the overarching theme for Labour Day is Re-igniting a Nation for Greatness.”

Labour Day will be the climax of Workers’ Week which is being observed from May 18 to May 23.

Minister Grange said the mission for Labour Day this year would be to “Mek Jamaica Cris an Clean.”

According to Minister Grange, Workers’ Week activities will include the unveiling of the Bust of Agnes “Aggie” Bernard on May 18 at the Workers’ Monument on Port Royal Street in Downtown, Kingston.

Bernard was a pioneering woman in Jamaica’s labour movement during the 1938 labour riots that were pivotal to Jamaica’s political development.

On May 23, Floral Tributes will be held at the National Heroes Park in Kingston as well as at Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay in tribute to the National Hero, the Right Excellent Samuel Sharpe, who was martyred on May 23, 1832 because of his determination that slavery be abolished.

This year, the Workers’ Week and Labour Day National Thanksgiving Church Service will be held on Sunday, May 22, 2022 at the Emmanuel Apostolic Church, 12A Slipe Road in Kingston.

Minister Grange said: “we have earned the right, as a nation, to not only celebrate this significant holiday, but also to continue to give back in the spirit of nation building. Labour Day 2022 will therefore provide a platform to engage the Jamaican people in a campaign to prepare their communities for Jamaica 60 celebrations by cleaning up and beautifying their environment as well as landmarks and public spaces.”

The Minister of Labour and Social Security, the Honourable Karl Samuda, recognises the workers of Jamaica as central to the celebrations, as the Week will accord respect and pay homage to workers for their contribution to nation-building. The Week will also provide an opportunity for the engagement of the wider populace on matters related to productivity, work ethic, industrial relations, etc. as important elements of work and national development.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the Honourable Desmond McKenzie, expects that communities and individuals across Jamaica will be motivated to participate in this national campaign to clean up our communities and environment and said, “we hope this will engender a new spirit of cleanliness. We will also use the occasion to discuss and promote a new ethos of clean living anchored in more displays of proper sanitation and good hygiene practices in how we treat with and dispose garbage and waste in our personal spaces and public spaces.”

While there will be many projects in communities across the island, it is expected that each Parish will identify a project for Parish Focus. The Municipal Corporations, in consultation with the Members of Parliament usually takes this decision.

The planning and administration of the National Labour Day and Workers’ Week fall under the purview of the National Labour Day Secretariat in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport working in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

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