February 2010 (Revised Edition) Decent work a priority for Belize Government launches region’s second Decent Work Country Programme The Government of Belize officially October, 2009. The launch follows Trade Union Congress and other launched the region’s second Decent Cabinet’s approval of the Programme on stakeholders, at a national workshop Work Country Programme on 29 14 July 2009. By concluding a Decent convened on 26-28 January 2009, in Work Country Programme (DWCP), the collaboration with the ILO. The Belize Government commits to working with the DWCP will focus on the following three social partners and priority areas: other stakeholders to (i) modernization and promote the Decent harmonization of Work Agenda in their national labour national development legislation in line with strategies. international labour The International Labour The Decent Work standards and Organization (ILO) is the United Agenda focuses on CARICOM Model Nations agency devoted to ways in which creating Labour Laws; advancing opportunities for women jobs, while promoting (ii) improvement of and men to obtain decent and respect for rights, skills and employability productive work in conditions of social protection, and (particularly for women freedom, equity, security and consensus-building and youth) and the human dignity. through social development of a Its main aims are to promote rights dialogue, can be made supportive labour at work, encourage decent central to social and market information employment opportunities, enhance economic system; and social protection and strengthen development. (iii)institutional dialogue in handling work-related issues. The DWCP was strengthening of the developed by the The Hon. Gabriel A. Martinez, social partners. The ILO works through its tripartite Ministry of Labour, Minister of Labour, Local A Labour Advisory membership in 183 countries - Local Government and Government and Rural Board is responsible for governments, employers and Rural Development, Development, Belize, at the monitoring and workers, all of whom jointly shape launch of the Belize Decent the Belize Chamber of evaluating the its policies and programmes. ILO is Work Country Programme. the global body responsible for Commerce and implementation of the drawing up and overseeing Industry, the National DWCP. international labour standards. The ILO Subregional Office for the , based in Trinidad and Tobago, serves 13 ILO member States and 8 non-metropolitan territories of the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. The Office works closely with United Nations agencies, including through five UN Country Teams, and Promoting decent work for all regional organizations such as CARICOM. Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, The Official launch of the Belize Decent Work Country Programme and the National Child Labour Policy. Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, At the podium is Marion McNab, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry. Dominica, , , Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad National Child Labour Policy for Belize also launched and Tobago The National Child Labour Policy for Belize was launched on 29 October 2009, Non-metropolitan territories: Anguilla, Aruba, , British along with the Belize Decent Work Country Programme. The central goal of the Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Policy is to give better guidance and direction to the elimination of all forms of Montserrat, Netherlands , child labour, especially the worst forms. The Policy establishes priority areas Turks and Caicos Islands. for combating child labour: legislation and enforcement; education and training; ILO Caribbean Newslink is and health care and protection. The Policy is a culmination of efforts by the produced by the Information Unit tripartite partners, the National Committee for Families and Children, and other of the ILO Subregional Office for key stakeholders. Belize was one of six countries in the Caribbean that the Caribbean. Please email all participated in the ILO Project funded by the Government of Canada which was enquiries to: [email protected] aimed at combating the worst forms of child labour.

www.ilocarib.org.tt 1 DECENT WORK Work advances on the development of Decent Work Country Programmes Other countries of the Caribbean will soon be joining the ranks of The Bahamas and Belize in anchoring the goal of decent work in their national development agendas. These two countries have developed Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCP) with support from the ILO and have defined their own priorities for promoting decent work through a national tripartite-plus consultative process. Consultations are now ongoing for The tripartite delegation from Montserrat, including Hon. Charles Kirnon, Minister of Communica- the development of a subregional tions, Works and Labour, (2nd from left) discusses Montserrat’s DWCP implemention plan with Decent Work Programme for members ILO’s team, Dr. Ana Teresa Romero, Director and Dr. Giovanni di Cola, Deputy Director (centre). Other members of the Montserrat delegation included Denise Phillip, Labour Commissioner of the Organisation of Eastern (Ag), (left), Florence Griffith-Joseph, (right) President, Montserrat Chamber of Commerce and Caribbean States (OECS), with the Industry, and Hylroy Bramble, General Secretary, Montserrat Allied Workers’ Union. support of the OECS Secretariat. In the framework of the subregional Barbados is in the process of finalizing their DWCP following a national tripartite- programme which has four priorities, plus programming workshop on 19 February 2010. specific results-based implementation plans suited to each national context ILO support for are being developed through tripartite Bahamas training consultations. Implementation plans initiative have been completed for Antigua and At the end of October 2009, the Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent ILO undertook an evaluation of and the Grenadines, Grenada and the national training initiative launched by the Bahamas Montserrat. Other OECS members will Government to help displaced soon establish implementation plans. workers learn new trades. In The Decent Work Programme for the photo, Mrs. Luesette Howell, OECS countries will be finalized this ILO’s Employers’ Activities year. Specialist (centre) and Dr. Hassan Ndahi (2nd from right), Skills and Employability Specialist, speak to the instructor of the marine outboard engine class.

LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION OECS Directors of Statistics agree to implement harmonized labour force survey with ILO and UNECLAC support Directors of Statistics of the countries year following the Population Census of the Organisation of Eastern in most of these countries. Climate change @ work Caribbean States (OECS) have The move towards a harmonized committed to implementing a Labour Force Survey will involve ILO focuses on green jobs harmonized Labour Force Survey by harmonized questionnaires, concepts, 2012. This was the decision taken at definitions and tabulation programmes the meeting of OECS Directors of that will generate comparable In its latest World of Work Report, the ILO Statistics held from 3-4 February 2010 information on the labour market for cites that nearly 40 per cent of all jobs at the Coyaba Beach Resort, Grenada. the OECS Economic Union. worldwide - accounting for about 600 Three countries will pilot the The ILO Subregional Office for the million workers - are in highly carbon- harmonized Labour Force Survey (LFS) Caribbean and the Information and intensive sectors. As part of the UN in 2010 - Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Analysis Systems for Latin America Framework Convention on Climate Vincent and the Grenadines. This will and the Caribbean (SIALC) in Panama Change (UNFCC), and allow the OECS sub-region to start the are collaborating with the United through its involvement at LFS as a regular survey from 2012, the Nations Economic Commission for the climate negotiations in Copenhagen in Latin America and the December 2009, the ILO Caribbean (UNECLAC) to aims to support coherent provide technical support for policies which buffer the the introduction and negative impacts of implementation of the climate change on the OECS-wide Labour Force labour market, promote green jobs which Survey. contribute to growth while reducing In 2008, the ILO emissions; as well as contribute to the Subregional Office for the greening of the workplace by mobilizing Caribbean and the OECS employers and workers. Secretariat signed a Memorandum of For more on Green Jobs, please visit: Understanding to cooperate http://www.ilo.org/integration/themes/ OECS seminar on Sampling for Labour Force Surveys, on labour market issues. greenjobs/lang—en/index.htm held from 25-29 January 2010 in Grenada.

2 www.ilocarib.org.tt RECONCILING WORK AND FAMILY ILO and UNDP issues first report on work and the family in Latin America and the Caribbean The ILO/UNDP joint report, Work and Social Security underlined the The public launch and panel Family: Towards new forms of importance of the family in the discussion were hosted by the ILO in reconciliation with social co- development of Jamaica and indicated collaboration with the Institute of responsibility, states that an that the Government was reviewing the Gender and Development Studies, unprecedented number of women joined Maternity Leave Act. In an effort to UWI, Mona Campus. the workforce in the promote co- (For more information on the ILO/UNDP report, Latin American and responsibility, the please visit: Caribbean region, but Minister noted that it http://www.ilocarib.org.tt/portal/images/ there has been no may be necessary to stories/contenido/pdf/Gender/ILO- similar process of examine the provision UNDP2009.pdf) change in for paternity leave. redistribution of The ILO/UNDP report JUST RELEASED domestic workload, identifies solutions to nor have public balance family life and Workplace services that support work through solutions for such duties been collective social childcare improved significantly. responsibility - This publication The general redistributing care reviews the key findings of the ILO/ responsibilities childcare concerns and challenges Paula Robinson, ILO’s Joint Gender UNDP report were between men and facing working parents and employers, Focal Point and Specialist, Workers’ revealed at the public women, as well as how these concerns are addressed by launch of the report at Activities, presents the ILO/UNDP report among the social to The Hon. Pearnel Charles, Minister of different national approaches, public the University of the partners, the State and policies and services, and why and how , Mona Labour and Social Security at the public the society. The report launch. different actors have stepped in to Campus on 18 highlights best develop childcare solutions at the November 2009. The launch was followed practices, including initiatives of trade workplace. by a case study of Jamaica and a unions in the Caribbean with respect to tripartite-plus panel discussion. In his collective agreements with clauses on http://www.ilocarib.org.tt/portal/ address at the launch, the Honourable maternity and paternity leave. images/stories/contenido/pdf/Gender/ Pearnel Charles, Minister of Labour and WorkplaceSolutions_ebook.pdf HIV/AIDS AND THE WORKPLACE

Public Sector in the Caribbean HIV and AIDS. The Office of the Chief responds to HIV and AIDS Personnel Officer, Personnel HIV as a workplace issue in Department developed the Guidelines UWI Postgraduate Safety and Two governments in the region recently with input from a broad base of Health programmes approved guidelines for managing HIV stakeholders, including several Public and AIDS in the public sector. Sector unions and associations, the Barbados now has a Code of The University of the West Indies, St. Tobago House of Assembly, the National Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Practice on HIV/AIDS and AIDS Coordinating Committee and the Tobago, has joined its Mona Campus, Other Life Threatening International Labour Organization (ILO). Jamaica counterpart in including HIV Illnesses for the Public Sector The Guidelines are based on the key and AIDS in the workplace as a while Trinidad and Tobago principles of the ILO Code of practice component of one of the courses offered developed Guidelines for on HIV/AIDS and the world of work. Managing HIV and AIDS in the Public in the Masters Programme in Service. Occupational Environmental Safety and The Barbados Public Sector Code Health (OESH). In the past, the ILO has of Practice was produced by the Ministry supported the Mona programme with of Labour in Barbados in collaboration guest lectures from ILO experts and with its HIV/AIDS Core Group that staff and expects to provide similar included the Barbados Employers’ support to the St Augustine programme Confederation, the Congress of Trade as it rolls out this new postgraduate Unions and Staff Associations of programme. At the end of the training, Barbados, the National HIV/AIDS students will be better equipped to Commission and the AIDS Society of address HIV as a workplace issue and to formulate appropriate policy Barbados Incorporated. Senator The The Ministry of Labour, Suriname, uses a Honourable Arni B. Walters, Minister of billboard in the Square at Dr. Sophie frameworks, guided by the ten key State (Labour and Immigration) in the Redmondstraat and the J.A. Pengelstraat, one principles of the ILO Code of practice Foreword to the Code notes that it of the busiest crossings in Suriname, to on HIV/AIDS and the world of work. “signifies a commitment by the promote HIV/AIDS awareness at the workplace. Government of Barbados to treat its employees within the Public Sector in a Trinidad and Tobago’s ECA commemorates fair and non-discriminatory manner regardless of their HIV status or any other 50th Anniversary life-threatening illness.” The ILO salutes the Employers’ Consultative Association (ECA) of Trinidad and In developing the Guidelines, the Tobago on the commemoration of its 50th Anniversary. On 16 February 1960, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, as ECA officially opened its doors to service 30 members, representing their interests the single, largest employer, in industrial relations matters. Today, the ECA has expanded its services, including acknowledged its responsibility to more the establishment of a training centre. Its membership now stands at 646. than 80,000 employees in addressing

www.ilocarib.org.tt 3 TRAINING Employers and trade unionists benefit from ILO/CARICOM trade negotiation training Grenada Trade Unionists sharpen negotiation skills at Representatives of ILO workshop employers’ and workers’ organizations Trade unions in Grenada benefited now have a better from ILO training in conciliation/ insight into the trade mediation and negotiation skills in negotiation process, October last year. The four-day the labour provisions of workshop exposed participants to the Economic the consensus-building approach Partnership Agreement to negotiations and included role and the role they can playing exercises. play in future Representatives of the Grenada negotiations of free Employers’ Federation, the ILO/CARICOM Trade Negotiation Workshop, National Insurance Board and the trade agreements. The Grenada, 1-3 December 2009. last in a series of three Labour Department also workshops sponsored by the ILO and on 3-5 February 2010, following similar participated. The workshop was the Office of Trade Negotiations, workshops in Trinidad and Tobago and facilitated by ILO Specialists based CARICOM, concluded in The Bahamas Grenada. Participants were able to benefit at the ILO Subregional Office for from the expertise of trade the Caribbean - Paula Robinson, negotiation experts and Workers’ Activities Specialist and practitioners. As a result of Rainer Pritzer, Social Dialogue and these workshops, participants Labour Administration. Calls were recommended the development made for a similar workshop for of materials to support their employers so that both sides of awareness-raising and training the negotiation table would be efforts. To this end, EPA Guides equipped with the same tools and for employers and workers are knowledge to foster a more being developed. harmonious industrial relations climate in Grenada. For more, please visit: Group work session at the workshop in The Bahamas. www.ilocarib.org.tt/trade

INFORMATION RESOURCES

ILO Caribbean in functions and organization of labour (www.ilo.org/empelm/what/pubs/lang--en/ Focus (DVD), 2009 administration. It gives a comprehensive docName--WCMS_120471/index.htm) This video presents an overview of the main principles of labour overview of the ILO and administration, covering labour EMERGING RISKS AND NEW its work in the legislation, industrial relations, working PATTERNS OF PREVENTION Caribbean since conditions and employment, and IN A CHANGING 1969. It highlights some of the ILO’s describes ways in which current WORLD major influences in the region through challenges can be met through policy, OF WORK organization, coordination and the eyes of Caribbean Labour Ministers management. World Day for and Caribbean employer and worker Safety and Health representatives. It also features the Global Employment Trends, 2010 at Work 28 April Decent Work Agenda. This report examines key labour market For more information visit: patterns around the world in the context www.ilo.org/safework/ Fundamentals of Labour events/safeday/lang--en/ of the global economic crisis, with in- index.htm Administration depth analysis of regional and global G. Casale and A. Sivananthiran, 2010- US$16 trends in unemployment, vulnerable This publication clearly sets out the role, employment and the working poor. ILO VACANCIES ILO joins international response to Haiti’s post-earthquake crisis Please visit the ILO webpage at As part of the UN system, the ILO is working to assess the http://erecruit.ilo.org impact of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on key services, industries and other facilities in order to mobilize for a list of current ILO vacancies throughout the world. Qualified candidates its resources to support job-creation and reconstruction from under-represented ILO Caribbean efforts. The ILO has two programmes in the country, one member States are encouraged to apply: to strengthen the garment export industry, another to build, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, through labour-intensive techniques, erosion control works. Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Saint Kitts and The ILO is collaborating with other UN agencies to evaluate the situation in Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Chile in the aftermath of the earthquake on 27 February 2010. Grenadines.

Produced by the Information Unit, ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, P.O. Box 1201, 6 Stanmore Avenue, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Tel. (868) 623-7704/7178 Fax (868) 627-8978 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ilocarib.org.tt Editor: Roma Wong Sang. Photographs courtesy: Ivan Williams, Derek Smith - Bahamas Information Service, OECS Secretariat, Luesette Howell, Paula Robinson.

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