GSAJ denies blocking BPO voting rights
MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA — Outsourcing industry group the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) denied allegations that business process outsourcing (BPO) employees were not given the legally mandated time off to vote in Jamaica’s recent local government elections.
During the GSAJ President’s Breakfast Forum, immediate past president Gloria Henry stated that a survey among GSAJ members showed that all had complied with the legal requirement to give employees time off to vote.
Anand Biradar, the current GSAJ president, also expressed contentment with the steps taken by member companies to facilitate their employees’ participation in the elections.
This sentiment was supported by Horace Chang, general secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party and Member of Parliament for St James North Western, who said that he received no complaints from his constituents regarding the denial of their voting rights.
The dispute over voting rights was raised by Dayton Campbell, general secretary of the People’s National Party, who alleged that BPO employees were not given the time off to vote, contributing to the election’s low voter turnout.
Henry stressed the association’s dedication to legal compliance and democratic engagement. However, she also noted that they cannot force individuals to vote.
“We are law-abiding citizens, we are supporting a global center and we have to ensure that we do not support people to break the law, whether they are on a public forum, campaign trail, or whether they are in the privacy of their homes,” Henry added.
