Caribbean

Newsletter of the ILO Decent Work Team and Offi ce for the Craibbean Double Issue: October 2013-March 2014

NEWSLINKNewsletter of the ILO Decent Work Team and Offi ce for the Craibbean Double Issue: October 2013-March 2014

The Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development of Trinidad and Tobago, through the National HIV/AIDS Workplace Advocacy and Sustainability Centre (HASC), hosted its fi rst Health and Wellness Fair in commemoration of World AIDS Day 2013 at the City Hall Corporation on Wednesday 11th December, 2013. Under the theme “My Health. My Responsibility”, the Fair provided a variety of testing services, including HIV and blood pressure testing, and cancer screening.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Carl Francis, Permanent Secretary, stated that “Health and wellness not only constitutes a state of physical well-being but must be viewed in a holistic manner;

Photo insert: Giovanni di Cola (left), Director, ILO DWT and Offi ce for the Caribbean, with Mr. Carl Francis (centre), Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development, and Ms. Miriam Masenga Chipimo (right), Strategic Intervention Advisor UNAIDS, Trinidad and Tobago at the Health and Wellness Fair, 2013.

one’s mental, emotional and spiritual health are equally important.” Also present at this inaugural event was Ms. Miriam Chipimo, UNAIDS Regional Strategic Intervention Adviser, and the Caribbean Regional Support Team both of whom engaged in HIV testing, which demonstrated their commitment to the fi ght against HIV and encouraged all present to get tested. The Director, ILO Decent Work Team and Offi ce for the Caribbean, Giovanni di Cola, praised the efforts of the HASC Team for such an initiative and indicated that the ILO will continue to technically support the HASC.

Trinidad and Tobago hosts fi rst Health and Wellness Fair in commemoration of World AIDS Day 2013

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Progress towards the development of a DWCP for Suriname

In 2013 tripartite constituents in Suriname made signifi cant progress towards the development of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP). The Ministry of Labour initiated the national process with the hiring of a consultant for the preparation of the document, and in a meeting held in July 2013 with the tripartite constituents and other stakeholders, it was agreed that employment-specifi c outcomes would be developed for the DWCP.

The outcomes were put forward in subsequent meetings of the tripartite constituents held in August 2013, and consolidated in a meeting held in October 2013, with members of the ILO Decent Work Team for the Caribbean.

Among the expected DWCP outcomes are:• sensitization and increased awareness for the creation of an enabling environment for the promotion of sustainable enterprises strengthened; • ratifi cation and application of ILO core Conventions, and the promotion of adherence to the fundamental principles and rights at work; • modernization of existing labour legislation, and the introduction of new legislation where necessary; • development of a labour inspection strategy and adoption of an action programme; • operationalization of the Labour Market Information System (LMIS) for the production of timely information on key labour market indicators; • the establishment of policies to reduce informality based on increased knowledge gained from a survey programme and other data sources; and • the timely conduct of wage surveys and production of statistics.

Discussions with the Ministry of Labour and the social partners are ongoing, and it is anticipated that the DWCP covering the period 2015-16 will be signed and launched shortly.

A Subcommittee of the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC) of the ILO has agreed on a Resolution which will raise the minimum monthly basic wage fi gure for able seafarers from US$585 to US$592, as of 1 January 2015 and US$614, as of 1 January 2016.

The mechanism for setting the minimum monthly wage for able seafarers is the only one in the ILO for setting the basic wage for

International Labour Standards aid trade

The Honourable Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development of Barbados, Senator Dr. the Hon. Esther Byer Suckoo, in her address to the opening of the Workshop on the ILO International Labour Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work said that the ILO and the international labour standards being promoted by that Organization, are critical to the facilitation of world trade.

While drawing attention to the importance of implementing international labour standards, the Minister said that “...Against the backdrop of mass exploitation of workers where conditions of labour spawn injustice and hardship, there was, and continues to be the need for the ILO. It has been the experience, and it is certainly well known, that social and economic injustice lead to a fracture of societal peace and security. As such, the fi ght for social justice is not only about goodwill and altruism, it is about the fostering and preservation of peace, good order and security.”

Moreover, she contended that, with respect to trade, “the establishment of a fl oor of labour standards below which countries should not fall, is important when it is considered that in the absence of such a fl oor, goods and services from countries with low standards will fi nd their way into countries with higher standards and hence higher cost of production.”

Senator Byer Suckoo lamented that given that reality, to be price-competitive, countries with higher labour costs would then be under pressure to lower their labour standards and the cycle of a “race to the bottom” is likely to be encouraged, with each country seeking to be competitive on the basis of lower and lower labour standards.

any industry. The minimum monthly basic wage fi gure for able seafarers has most recently been included in the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006).

The Convention, known as the “seafarers’ bill of rights”, entered into force on 20 August 2013, and has been ratifi ed by 56 ILO member States representing over 80 per cent of world shipping tonnage. The Joint Maritime Commission is the only permanent bipartite standing body of

the ILO. It dates back to 1920, and is composed of ship-owner and seafarer representatives from across the globe.

ILO adopts new minimum wage for seafarers

(Photo insert above): Members of the ILO Decent Work Team and Offi ce for the Caribbean (right) during a meeting in October 2013 with Surinamese Offi cials to discuss the DWCP outcomes for that country.

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Caribbean Governments working towards ratifi cation of ILO Conventions

In Barbados“It is only a matter of time before Cabinet is asked to approve ratifi cation of ILO Convention 189 which speaks to the working conditions of domestic workers”, said Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development of Barbados, Senator, Dr. the Hon Byer-Suckoo. The Ministry is currently ensuring that legally and administratively, Barbados can implement the international labour standard.

“This Convention came into force in September 2013 and heralds in a set of revolutionary standards for workers in that part of the informal sector. It is, therefore, my desire to have this instrument now ratifi ed as early as possible and bring this area of work, which we know is dominated by women, into the civilised world as far as labour practices are concerned.”

The Minister further stated that her Ministry awaits the relevant submissions in order to advance the process of ratifi cation as it relates to the ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention No. 155 and the ILO Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention No. 184.

Member States of the ILO have a constitutional obligation to send regular reports on the ILO Conventions they have ratifi ed. This exercise allows for an international dialogue on the way each country implements its obligations at the national level. The reports and comments sent by the social partners are reviewed by an independent Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR), whose own report and comments will be reviewed by a Committee of the ILO’s International Labour Conference each year in June.

The ILO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour of Barbados, organized a three-day training Workshop on the ILO, International Labour Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work for members of the Tripartite Consultation Committee (C144 Committee),

ILO workshop highlights the importance of timely reporting

facilitated by ILO Specialist in International Labour Standards and Labour Law, Mr. Pierre-Francois Recoing. The Workshop was aimed at public offi cers who have a role to play in the reporting exercise by providing information to the Labour Department in view of the preparation of reports. The initiative received the support of the Minister of Labour, Hon. Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo and her team.

Thirty participants benefi ted from the Workshop, representing the Ministry and Department of Labour; Barbados Employers’ Confederation; Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados; C144 Committee; Ministry of Economic Affairs; Ministry of Health; Ministry of International Transport; Ministry of the Civil Service; Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water

Resource Management; and the Barbados Civil Aviation Department. These administrations were targeted to receive training since they are the competent bodies that provide updates on the various topics touched upon by ILO Conventions and the comments of the Committee of Experts.

As part of the ongoing South-South cooperation, the Ministry of Labour in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines graciously approved the mission of one of its seasoned labour offi cers who co-facilitated the Workshop.

Following the Workshop, Barbados was able to send all reports to the Committee of Experts and to fulfi l its constitutional obligation within the expected timeframe.

Photo insert above, L to R: Pierre-Francois Recoing, ILO Specialist in International Labour Standards and Labour Law; Tennyson Beckles, Chairman of the Standing Committee; and Dr. the Hon. Esther Byer Suckoo, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development of Barbados.

In JamaicaThe Government is moving to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (Convention 189), which stipulates safeguards for the welfare of household workers globally, and outlines provisions to signifi cantly enhance their status and working conditions. So says the Hon. Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica.

Her announcement received rousing applause including from the President of the 3,600-member strong Jamaica Household Workers Union (JHWU) President, Shirley Pryce, who has long advocated for the ratifi cation.

Ratifi cation of the Convention signals governments’ commitment to revise the relevant laws in their country which govern the welfare of household workers, both women and men, and to undertake other supporting interventions which are consistent with the provisions of the Convention.

Mrs. Simpson-Miller reaffi rmed the Government’s commitment to making gender equality and the empowerment of women “become and remain a reality for our nation.”

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Mainstreaming OSH into Guyana’s education systemIn the framework of the ILO/IPEC TACKLE projects in Guyana and Jamaica, fi ve colleagues from the Caribbean, representing Ministry of Labour (MoL) and Ministry of Education (MoE) and project coordinators were sensitized on the whole school approach to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) through the participation in the Workshop “Mainstreaming OSH into education: Towards a culture of prevention” which took place in November 2012 at the ILO’s Training Centre in Turin.

After the Workshop, with the support from both Ministries, a working group was established in Guyana, with the aim to incorporate safety and health into the Health and Family Education (HFE) Curriculum which is a nation-wide programme for primary and secondary schools. In May and June 2013, pilot safety and health educational sessions were conducted in two primary schools. In response to the positive feedback on those sessions, the HFE Curriculum is currently under revision with more emphasis on safety components.

In preparation for the new Curriculum and its implementation, safety and health seminars and exhibitions were jointly organized by MoL and MoE with ILO’s support. The seminars facilitated students as well as parents and teachers at the targeted primary and secondary schools on 28 and 29 November 2013, and had three main objectives:

• To sensitize and educate children on existing hazards in the school and home;• To develop a safety and health culture at schools; and• To promote “the whole school approach” to safety and health.

Eighty elementary and nursery students, 110 middle school students and 45 parents and teachers participated in the event. They learned about safety and health risks at school and home and prevention measures through lectures, songs, materials and interventions. Dr. Yuka Ujita, ILO Specialist in Occupational Safety and Health facilitated the activity.

Photo inserts: (Top, left) An offi cial of the Guyana Fire Service during one of the presentations, explains safety wear in fi re fi ghting. (Below, left) Ministry of Labour offi cials explain ítems on display at the exhibition.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Jamaica, launched the National OSH Profi le, together with a policy on HIV/AIDS at the workplace on 16 December 2013.

A National OSH Profi le is a diagnostic instrument which entails a systematic review and evaluation of the national situation in respect of occupational accidents and diseases as well as the entire range of instruments and resources available in a country to implement a National OSH Programme. The instrument is required as a common reference, grounded in the realities of the stakeholders involved. It will be used for identifying strong

Jamaica launches National OSH Profi leand weak points and gaps and then for identifying the priority issues on which Jamaica’s National OSH Programme will be built.

The development of the national OSH programme is consistent with the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention No. 187, which is in line with the ILO Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health adopted in 2003. The Convention aims at promoting a preventative OSH culture and progressively achieving a safe and healthy working environment through the establishment of a national framework for continuous OSH improvement.

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USDoL awards $14.7 million to ILO to reduce child labour

The U.S. Department of Labor (USDoL), awarded two cooperative agreements to the ILO to address the worst forms of child labour by providing direct technical assistance to governments in 20 countries as well as support for updating statistics related to child labour in another 100 countries. US$7.7 million was awarded to build the capacity of governments to eliminate the worst forms of child labour (WFCL) in at least ten ILO member States. The Project will support efforts in Suriname to:

• Adopt and enact the list of hazardous occupations prohibited for children under the age of 18.• Raise the compulsory education age to at least 14, the minimum age for work, by passing education legislation introduced in 2010.• Create a mechanism to refer children discovered in exploitative labour to appropriate services, helping prevent their return to work.• Conduct an assessment of the labour inspectorate that includes an analysis of labour inspection mechanisms and obstacles to their effective implementation; isolating fi ndings about gaps and weakness in the system and its operation; and developing recommendations for strengthening its effectiveness in enforcing labour laws, focusing on those related to the enforcement of child labour laws.• Finalize planning and carry out implementation of the national child labour survey, making results publicly available.• Approve and implement the National Children’s Action Plan.• Approve and implement the Anti-traffi cking Plan of Action.• Create and expand social programs to assist children engaged in or vulnerable to the WFCL, particularly in agriculture, street work, commercial sexual exploitation and mining.• Assess the impact that existing programs have on child labour.

The Project will collaborate with key government agencies and ministries at the national, regional and local levels and will build on experience gained and progress made in several other completed and currently ongoing USDoL-funded projects.

A second cooperative agreement for US$7 million was awarded to collect and analyze data on working children in ten countries. In order to increase capacity of the host governments to conduct data collection and analysis on child labour, the Project will work in close cooperation with each host government’s national statistical offi ce, labour and education ministries, other relevant government agencies, social partners and civil society on all project components, including research design, survey implementation, and data analysis.

In Jamaica the Project will conduct surveys to collect data on child labour at the national or sector-level, develop policy appraisals, prepare and publish public-use data fi les, and build capacity of national statistical offi ces to conduct research and analyze data on child labour. The Project will also update statistics on children’s work and education for approximately 100 countries.

The National HIV/AIDS Workplace Advocacy and Sustainability Centre (HASC) hosted a two-day “Skills-building Workshop on the Development of Workplace Polices and Programmes on HIV and AIDS”. The Workshop was held on 28-29 January, 2014 at the National Union for Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW), Port of Spain, and was facilitated by HIV and AIDS Consultant, Madhuri Supersad, with support from the ILO Offi ce for the Caribbean, and HASC staff.

Specifi cally tailored to suit the needs of the public sector, the Workshop served to increase participants’ knowledge of the human rights framework for responding to HIV in the workplace. Participants were presented with international and national guidelines on managing HIV and AIDS in the workplace and were provided with an opportunity to start developing policies for their own organizations with guidance from the HASC. Throughout the proceedings, the facilitators emphasized that HIV and AIDS information and education programmes in the workplace are essential to combat the spread of the epidemic and to foster greater tolerance for workers living with HIV and AIDS.

Participants of the Workshop included various Government ministries, the Public Services Association, Trinidad and Tobago Unifi ed Teachers Association and the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited.

HASC hosts Workshop on

development of workplace policies

and programmes on HIV and AIDS

Based on the observations of mining sites and fi ndings through two ILO training workshops, as well as several

meetings organized by the ILO for stakeholders, a new inspection Manual for small artisanal placer mines is being developed with the assistance of Mr. Robert Lambeth, Senior Mine Safety Expert and ILO Consultant.

Given the fact that currently there is no detailed regulation on OSH in mines in both countries, this Manual intends to contribute to reducing the number of

accidents and injuries by inducing small miners to develop a safety culture through guidance and repetition, rather than enforcement. It will provide mine safety inspectors with a consistent framework for conducting mine inspections and for working with miners to develop corrective actions which will ultimately lead to enhanced safety and increased profi tability.

GUYANA AND SURINAMEInspection manual for the mining sector being developed

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Trade Union BriefsAntigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU), with the support of the ILO Offi ce for the Caribbean, developed a fi ve-year Strategic Plan with a view to strengthening its institutional capacity, modernizing the union and developing effective communication and partnerships in its efforts to serve its members and working people generally in Antigua and Barbuda. The Plan covers the period November 2013 to November 2018. One of the fi rst activities that the ABWU has initiated under this Plan is the revision of its Constitution. A Constitution Review has been established and the ILO is supporting this effort by providing technical advice.

Trinidad and Tobago

Under the International Women’s Day theme: Equality for women is progress for all, the National Union of Domestic Employees (NUDE), Trinidad and Tobago, in collaboration with the Joint Trade Union Movement mobilized and organized a march which highlighted their advocacy for the recognition of domestic workers under the Industrial Relations Act. With participants from the trade unions and civil society, the march started at the Town Hall and ended at the Velodrome. As the march proceeded through the town of Arima, the marchers sang trade union songs and called for the ratifi cation of ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), along the route. At the Velodrome, several of the organizations which participated in the march as well as other agencies had erected booths displaying information on their work and services for women. These groups included the Ministry of Labour Small and Micro Enterprise Development, trade unions, the Rape Crisis Society, First Citizen Bank, the Police Service Victim and Witness Support Unit as well as the Girl Guides.

Since 2011, the Caribbean Domestic Workers’ Network (CDWN), with the support of the ILO, has managed to include other organizations beyond the National Union of Domestic Employees of Trinidad and Tobago (NUDE) and the Jamaica Household Workers Union (JHWU), namely: Red Thread, Guyana; Barbados Workers’ Union; Antigua and Barbuda Trades and Labour Union; and the Transport and Industrial Workers’ Union Trinidad and Tobago which comprise the core members of the Network. The CDWN was able to achieve the following results:

• Ratifi cation of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No.189) in Guyana;• Formation of a Domestic Workers section in the Antigua Trades and Labour Union, Antigua and Barbuda, which serves both local and migrant domestics;• Establishment of the Clotil and Cora Self-Help Information Service for domestic workers under the umbrella of Red Thread, a grassroots women’s organization in Guyana;• Signifi cant increases in the number of domestic workers organized, for example, the membership of the JHWU has increased from 1200 to 3600 members organized across the country and not just in the Kingston and Saint Andrew corporate area.

Additionally, the Network through its Jamaican affi liate has been working with the national training agency, Heart-NTA to secure the establishment of a programme of National Vocational Qualifi cations (NVQs) for domestic workers with a view to more domestic workers being able to take advantage of the free movement regime under Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

With the support of the ILO, the Network commissioned a study to determine the profi le of the women in Guyana who were domestic workers so that this information could facilitate an evidenced-based approach to organizing and designing programmes and developing information targeting these women. Furthermore, the CDWN also commissioned an analysis of the gap between the labour legislation and regulations applicable to domestic workers and the standards of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No.189). The analysis was done on the legislation of six countries, i.e. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. The study will provide the members of the CDWN with a platform for their advocacy for the ratifi cation of the ILO Convention as well as for their work in improving the working conditions of domestic workers in their countries in line with the provisions of ILO Convention No. 189.

The platform for Caribbean Domestic Workers is results-based

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International Women’s Day 2014To mark International Women’s Day, the ILO refl ects on the progress that has been made and what still needs to be done to achieve gender equality in the workplace. The ILO Centenary Initiative on Women at Work is one of seven being launched ahead of the ILO’s 100th anniversary in order to help “equip the Organization to take up successfully the challenges of its mandate in the future”. The ILO is planning a major assessment of women in the world of work in the years leading up to its Centenary in 2019. This year’s observance of International Women’s Day launches a process of refl ection on this Initiative.

Where we are, and where we want to be

Building on achievementsThe ILO enjoys a long-established record of advocacy and contributions toward improving women’s status and recognition of their rights in the world of work. Since its founding in 1919, the Organization has taken the lead in developing international labour standards, polices and approaches in promoting women workers’ rights and equality with men in the world of work. The ILO fundamental Conventions on quality at work and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) - have been almost universally ratifi ed. In 2009 the International Labour Conference adopted Conclusions concerning gender equality which contain a wealth of strategies, suggested policies and approaches for promoting equality. The 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization mandates the ILO to make gender equality and non-discrimination cross-cutting issues throughout its strategic objectives.

The ILO Women at Work

Centenary Initiative

VISITS TO THE OFFICE Learning and Sharing

His Excellency Giovanni Castillo, Ambassador of the Embassy of Guatemala (Top, left), paid a courtesy call to the ILO on 31 January 2014. His Excellency met with the Director, ILO Decent Work Team and Offi ce for the Caribbean, Giovanni di Cola, to discuss matters related, among other, to collaboration with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) on training and skills development in tourism in the Greater Caribbean.

Giovanni di Cola, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Offi ce for the Caribbean (left), received a courtesy visit from the Ambassador of Spain H. E. José María Fernández López de Turiso (right) together with Ms. Gerardina Gonzales, ILO Deputy Regional Director for the Americas (center) on mission to Trinidad and Tobago. Discussions were centered on technical cooperation with the ILO, in particular, on policies for the disabled and other areas of cooperation with the Government of Spain.

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16th Workshop on the Role of Labour Standards in accessing international markets completedDecember 2013 saw the last of the in-country Workshops on the Role of Labour Standards in Accessing International Markets and supporting the Caribbean Single Market when the 1st Vice-President of the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC), Mr Ferdinand Welzijn, joined Mr. Pierre-François Recoing, ILO Specialist in International Labour Standards and Law, and Ms. Anne Knowles, ILO Senior Specialist in Employers’ Activities, in partnering with the Aruba Trade and Industry Association to present the material to its members as well as representatives from Trade Unions and Government Departments and Agencies.

In his opening address the Minister of Labour, Hon. Paul Croes said that when focusing on the impact of globalisation on business activity, it is relevant that we understand, implement and enforce ILO core labour standards. He went on to say that “shaping

the sustainable future of Aruba is not only the responsibility of government; it is also the responsibility of each individual living in Aruba to be active in this process”. Such a sentiment of inclusivity underpins the reasons why the workshops were developed in conjunction with CEC in December 2012. The objectives for the Workshop were identifi ed as being:

• To increase employers’ awareness of emerging export market requirements, supply/distribution chain requirements and a single market approach from a labour standards perspective;• To enable CEC as the representative regional employers’ organization to play a more effective role in developing social and economic policies at CARICOM forums.• To increase employers’ awareness and knowledge of core labour standards, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Global Compact and issues relating

to Corporate Social Responsibility;• To assist the Employers’ Organisation in developing potential services to further enhance the competitive position of member companies in the private sector;• To increase employers’ understanding of the need to be proactive in adopting good management practices based on the ILO’s core conventions.

Over ten months in 2013, 16 workshops were organized by national Employers’ Organizations not only for their members but to ensure active engagement of all stakeholders to enable each country to meet the challenges of the Single Caribbean Market. Representatives of labour and Government were also often invited.

Photo insert at top (L to R): Igmar Reyes, Director, ATIA; Anne Knowles, ILO Senior Specialist, Employers’ Activities; Hon. Paul Croes, Minister of Labour; and Mr. Ferdinand Welzijn, 1st Vice-President, Caribbean Employers’ Confederation.

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“Employers’ Organizations (EOs) and Women Entrepreneurs: How to reach out” was the theme of a 4-day training Workshop which aimed to help EOs’ staff and board members refl ect, exchange and put in place strategies and tools to tap women entrepreneurs’ potential in a smart way. The course, which was specifi cally focused on the Caribbean region, was a follow-up of a training workshop held in Turin in November 2011. Designed by the ILO-ITC Programme for Employers’ Activities and built on inputs and recommendations from business world experts and women entrepreneur representatives, the course was organized and implemented in partnership with the Dutch Employers’ Cooperation Programme (DECP), in collaboration with the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities, and the ILO Senior Specialist for Employers’ Activities in the Caribbean, Ms. Anne Knowles.

Seventeen experts from 12 countries met in Kingston, Jamaica from 7–10 October 2013 to discuss, exchange and fi nd ways in which their organizations could innovate and change in order to reach out to Caribbean women entrepreneurs in an effective way - “Whether by easing restrictions on women’s employment and business activities or by adopting policies increasing women’s ability to take up economic activities, gender equality is smart economics”, says the World Bank in its latest Women, Business and the Law report. The Employers’ Organization and Women Entrepreneurs Association representatives who participated shared that analysis.

New strategic

direction for Antigua

and Barbuda

Employers’ Federation

On 20 February 2014 the staff and Board members of the Antigua and Barbuda Employers’ Federation met in a full day Workshop facilitated by the ILO’s Senior Specialist, Employers’ Activities to develop a strategic plan to guide the Organisation in its work to realise its mission of promoting and protecting the interests of employers through effective advocacy, social dialogue and by providing value-added services to facilitate an enabling environment for sustainable business.

The President of ABEF, Dr Vanetta Rogers, said “The outcome linked clearly to the strategic focus I put forward as President on my election in November 2013 and should serve as a good platform to further the direction of the Federation.”

They also discussed, identifi ed and committed themselves to take concrete steps to improve the participation of women entrepreneurs in the economic life of their country and region.

The workshop focussed on four core areas:

1. Governance, notably the representation of women entrepreneurs in Governing Boards and Policy Committees;

2. Membership Strategy, with a focus on the recruitment of women entrepreneurs as individual and/or association members and the effective management of membership data;

3. Advocacy and Lobbying Strategy. The identifi cation and removal of business environment constraints impacting on the activity of women entrepreneurs; and

4. Services Provision. Adding value to women entrepreneurs and members’ businesses through information, advice, training, mentoring, business matching and a range of other relevant services.

This hands-on workshop was the fi fth in a series of capacity-building activities conducted by the ITCILO to strengthen employers’ organisations representativeness with regards to women entrepreneurs. Since 2011, similar workshops have been organised in different regions of the world. The concrete results and impact of these trainings are monitored and will be consolidated in 2014 in a guide for employers’ organisations on how EOs can best reach out to women entrepreneurs.

Employers’ Organizations reach out to women entrepreneurs

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At the request of the Commissioner of Cooperatives, Government of The Bahamas, the ILO facilitated a three-day Workshop on Youth Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives from 3-5 October 2013. The objective of the Workshop was to strengthen the capacity of staff of the Cooperative Department and young entrepreneurs on the benefi ts of entrepreneurship and the use of the cooperative model as a viable alternative for job creation. The Workshop was conducted by Kelvin Sergeant, ILO Specialist for Sustainable Development and Job Creation.

The target group comprised young progressive entrepreneurs less than 35 years of age (24 women and 11 men) who represented the family of islands of Grand Bahama, Abaco, Cat Island, Andros, Long Island, Eleuthera and Nassau. Participants were shown the benefi ts of cooperatives as a viable alternative business option.

The Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government, Hon. V. Alfred Gray, formally opened the Workshop and he praised the country’s existing cooperatives while encouraging entrepreneurs to consider cooperatives as business opportunities of the future. He urged participants to invest in this business model, arguing that he did not think that the Bahamas was in a position to do without such a movement. He saw cooperatives as important in providing fi nancing and other support for micro and small enterprises which represents persons who saw self-employment as possible solutions to ensure their livelihood, especially when it is diffi cult to fi nd jobs.

Also speaking at the opening was the Commissioner of Cooperatives, Mr. Nathaniel Adderley, and Mrs. Cheryl Bowe-Moss, President of the Bahamas Cooperative League.

Participants took part in a number of sessions where they had to fi nd solutions to the problems facing businesses in the Bahamas. They prepared business and marketing plans for the new business of their choosing and were also exposed to cooperative elements of the ILO’s Start and Improve Your Business, as well as the ILO’s decent work concept. They committed to assist in strengthening existing cooperatives in their respective Islands or to forming new ones.

Entrepreneurship and the Cooperative Model viable option for job creation in the Bahamas

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Formalizing theinformal economy in

the Caribbean

Surveys undertaken in Saint Lucia and Suriname

As part of a regional approach to developing strategies for the formal private sector to support a move from informal economy to formal economy, the Saint Lucia Employers’ Federation and the Suriname Trade and Industry Association both facilitated surveys of members’ views, undertaken by independent consultants, to identify perceived barriers to formality and to provide recommendations to overcome them.

The two Reports will contribute to a regional comparison and further analysis at a Workshop of Employers’ Organization representatives to be held in Lima, Peru from 24 – 25 April, 2014.

Representatives of the Employers’ Organizations which participated in the survey will meet to provide guidance for employer input to the discussion on formalizing the informal economy to take place at the ILO’s International Labour Conference in June 2014.

Studies conducted in Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago

During the period October to December 2013, the ILO Decent Work Team and Offi ce for the Caribbean engaged independent consultants to undertake three important studies on Formalizing the Informal Economy in the Caribbean. The studies were conducted to provide data and analysis on the state of formalization of informal employment. A large share of informal employment in the Caribbean is situated in micro and small enterprises. Informal employment in these enterprises is characterized by precarious working conditions, the absence of social security and disrespect for labour standards.

The studies, which were conducted in Jamaica, and Saint Lucia, reviewed the policies, strategies and schemes implemented in the respective countries which have had a positive impact on formalization of employment.

The study for Trinidad and Tobago reviewed policies and schemes which promote the formalization of micro and small enterprises as well as the formalization of employment relations within these entities.

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Saint Lucia launches the LMISOn 11 December 2013, the Department of Labour (DoL) of Saint Lucia invited its stakeholders to the launch of the Labour Market Information System (LMIS). The launch came after two years of planning and development with technical assistance from the ILO, and in collaboration with other stakeholders.

In his address at the Launching Ceremony, Dr. the Honourable Robert Lewis, Minister of Education, Human Resource Development and Labour remarked that “...computerization of the Department processes and the development of its information system is a critical move if it is to maintain a relevance that enables it to stay afl oat and serve its constituents, with the desired effectiveness and effi ciency. [...] With such a critical role it is therefore imperative that we enhance our services, we modernize our systems and we refi ne our processes.”

The Minister further expressed “immeasurable gratitude to the ILO” for “once again delivering to our expectations.” He praised the work of the ILO for the technical assistance provided in the development of the System.

An MoU was signed with the national stakeholders at the Launching Ceremony highlighting the following objectives to be achieved:1) Produce more, better and timely LMIS for Saint Lucia, its people, government, business, trade union and civic society organisations.2) Forge and formalise a national consensus on a national plan of action that aims at: a. Making more effi cient use of human, fi nancial and other resources. b. Avoiding duplication (data sources). c. Making datasources more complementary considering various methodologies and techniques. d. Strengthening the role and the impact of our national. statistical capacity, particularly of the statistical service e. Sharing infra-stracture especially in the area of ICT.3) Mobilise more (fi nancial) resources to produce and disseminate LMI.4) Integrate ICT in LMI.

The LMI Stakeholders will meet annually to decide on all policy issues related to the MoU as well as information technology, budgetary, organisational, managerial and legal issues.

LMIS

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Photo insert: Reynold Simons, ILO Senior Specialist (left), with Dr. the Hon. Robert Lewis, Minister of Education, Human Resource Development and Labour

ILO CLMIS mission installs software application in Grenada

From 17-21 March 2014 an ILO mission visited Grenada to install the two Caribbean Labour Market Information System (CLMIS) applications and train the Grenada Department of Labour (DoL) staff as well as staff of other stakeholders on its use. The mission also met with a broad group of stakeholders which included high level representatives of trade unions and employers organizations to discuss the LMIS, what information will become available to them and their contribution to this national system.

With the completion of this ILO mission, the CLMIS Labour Administration System was installed and the DoL can now run a “paperless offi ce”, easily compile statistics from its records and manage its operations using the computerized System. The System is available from workstations in the Government IT Centre of Excellence or using tablets and laptops. The Grenada DoL will, in the coming weeks, approach donors for support in getting the System utilized to the fullest.

CARICOM and ILO discuss the CLMIS

An ILO mission presented the ILO approach to a Caribbean LMIS (CLMIS) and gave a demonstration of the two software applications that were developed from the actual labour administration operations and needs in a number of ILO member countries in the last 4 years. The Meeting, held at CARICOM’s CSME Offi ce in Barbados on 26 March 2014, was the result of discussions on CARICOM’s objective to establish a Labour Market Information System (LMIS) covering all of its Member States.

Departments of labour, national insurance systems, and central statistical offi ces of countries where the CLMIS is already operational, also participated in the discussions that followed the presentation and demonstration. The working party reached an initial consensus that the CLMIS is a basis to build on but there is need for enhancement so the applications can fully meet the needs of CARICOM.

CARICOM will fi nalize its decision-making and further discussions will take place to detail and formalize collaboration with the ILO.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines sign MoU to further advance its national LMIS

The Department of Labour of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) hosted a Meeting on 13 December 2013 for the key stakeholders of its national Labour Market Information System (LMIS). The Meeting was aimed at providing a greater driving force for the continued development of the SVG-LMIS which was launched in 2011.

Recognizing the need for collaboration and information sharing to achieve the success of the SVG-LMIS, the three main stakeholders - the Department of Labour, the Central Statistical Offi ce, and the National Insurance Service - signed an MoU which aims to produce more, better and timely labour market information, among other targets through cooperation with national stakeholders.

ILO Senior Specialist for employment and Labour Market Policies, Mr. Reynold Simons, provided technical expertise for the development of the System. Mr. Simons presented a report on a limited labour market analysis for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from data collected from the stakeholders at the Meeting.

ILO VACANCIES @ http://erecruit.ilo.org

18

Produced by the Information Unit, ILO Offi ce 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: ilocarib@ilocarib.org.tt Website: www.ilocarib.org.tt.

Photographs courtesy: Barbados Advocate; The Government Information Service, Guyana; Department of Labour, Saint Lucia;Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Trinidad and Tobago; The Government Information Service, Suriname

INFORMATION RESOURCES

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

ILO VACANCIES @http://erecruit.ilo.org

The Informal Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Role of the Formal Private Sector and Business Organizations. Workshop for Employers’ Organization RepresentativesPlace and date: Lima, Peru, 24 – 25 April, 2014.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April) - The theme for 2014 is: Safety and Health in the Use of Chemicals at Work. Key resources will be available online at: http://www.ilo.org/safework/events/safeday/lang--en/index.htm

Training Programme on Anticipating Skills Requirements: Occupational trends and emerging demands in Tourism, Place and date: 6-7 May 2014, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Twenty-Sixth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) on Decent Work Agenda and Gender with the ILO Decent Work Team and Offi ce for the CaribbeanPlace and date: 14-15 May 2014, Georgetown, Guyana

103rd Session of the International Labour ConferencePlace and date: Geneva, Switzerland, 28 May - 12 June 2014

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associated with the falling wage share and rising inequality in income distribution, relating to both aggregate demand and labour productivity. It presents new empirical and econometric evidence regarding the economic causes and potential impact of changing income distribution.

ISBN: 978-92-2-127820-7Price: TT$297.00; US$47.00

Creative Labour Regulation: Indeterminacy and protection in an uncertain world

Creative labour regulation is an interdisciplinary response to the central contemporary challenges to effective labour regulation. Drawing on

contributions by leading experts from the Regulating for Decent Work Network, it offers new ideas for research and policy.

The book identifi es three central challenges to contemporary labour regulation: intensifying labour market fragmentation; complex interactions between labour market institutions; and obstacles to effective enforcement.

ISBN: 978-92-2-127820-7Price: TT$330.00; US$52.00

Panorama Laboral 2013 - Latin America and the Caribbean

Twenty years since its fi rst publication, the Labour Overview analyzes the challenges facing

Latin America and the Caribbean today. We see two essentially different decades for the region’s labour markets and visualize the immediate future with concern that generate some features present in the economy and labour markets. In 2013 labour indicators show stagnation of progress that had characterized previous years.

ISSB: 2305-0276

Global Employment Trends 2014: The risk of a jobless recovery

The study offers the latest global and regional information and projections on several indicators of the labour market, including employment, unemployment, working poverty and vulnerable employment.

If current trends continue, global unemployment is set to worsen further, albeit gradually, reaching more than 215 million jobseekers by 2018. During this period, around 40 million net new jobs would be created every year, which is less than the 42.6 million people that are expected to enter the labour market every year. The global unemployment rate would remain broadly constant during the next fi ve years, at half a percentage point higher than before the crisis.

ISBN: 978-92-2-127485-8