Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles (centre), presents an award to former Solicitor General Michael Hylton (right) during Tuesday's opening ceremony of the three-day Regional Labour Board (RLB) meeting at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay, St James. Sharing in the occasion is Morris Kletzkin, lawyer, RLB. - Photo by Janet Silvera

WESTERN BUREAU:

Amid uncertainty concerning the future of returning Jamaican workers on the United States H2R Programme, Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles is appealing to United States employers to join the lobbying efforts on the country's behalf.

Legislation authorising H2R returning worker visas expired on Friday, September 28 last year and was not renewed by Congress. Until this programme is renewed, no new visa appointments will be scheduled for returning workers, reads a statement on the US Embassy website.

Employers urged to lobby

"The challenges that we face require you to do something at the political level," argued Minister Charles, while appealing for the employers to lobby Congress. "The US has set a quota for the number of workers that can come, we are asking you to help us to get our workers there," the minister said.

He made the appeal this week to US employers who were on the island attending the annual Regional Labour Board meeting at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay, St James.

Representatives from various hotels in the United States, including the Breakers, Kiawah Island Resort and Sandestine and farms, including New England Apple Council, Chazy Orchards and Niagara Orchards, were attending the three-day event which began on Tuesday.

The 65-year-old programme, which has sent more than 30,000 temporary farmers and 70,000 hotel workers to the US in the last eight years, earns the country $10 billion per year.