Private sector bodies including The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, The MSME Alliance and The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association note reports of public passenger vehicle operators that have gone on strike across various sections of the country.
The associations are calling for an urgent and amicable resolution to this situation, as the impacts of this strike are far-reaching and pose a severe blow to efforts being made to restore the country’s growth. They are noting that there could be up to approximately 50% loss of production today because of the strike.
Many of the country’s citizens, they point out, are reliant on the public transportation system not only to make it to and from work, but also to access essential services.
The private sector bodies are therefore calling for inclusive and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders inclusive of the Government of Jamaica and the transport associations.
The country, they note, cannot afford any further setbacks to normalcy, as it has already seen the negative repercussions across sectors during the pandemic including learning loss by children and reduced operations in businesses.
Many of the country’s citizens, they point out, are reliant on the public transportation system not only to make it to and from work, but also to access essential services.
The private sector bodies reiterated their expectation that this situation is resolved quickly and that the respective parties are able to arrive at a consensus on the way forward.