Barbados Employers Call for Proper Resourcing of Labour Law Agencies

The Barbados Employers' Confederation (BEC) is urging the government to ensure that labour law enforcement agencies, including the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT), are properly resourced to effectively carry out their mandates. The call comes as the ERT faces a significant backlog of over 400 outstanding cases.

Why this matters: The proper functioning of labour law enforcement agencies has a direct impact on the protection of workers' rights and the overall business environment in Barbados. Ensuring that these agencies are adequately resourced can prevent labor disputes, promote fair labor practices, and contribute to the country's economic growth.

Sheena Mayers-Granville, Executive Director of the BEC, emphasized the need for proper resourcing before adding new legislation. "We are concerned about the resources available to these institutions and one thing that the BEC would wish to highlight before we add new legislation [is] let us ensure that our enforcement agencies are properly resourced," Mayers-Granville stated.

The BEC is currently in discussions with the Ministry of Labour, which has the chief mandate for enforcing labour legislation, to improve the functioning of the ERT. Mayers-Granville noted that the ERT's administrative structures need to be improved to address the slow movement of cases.

In addition to calling for proper resourcing, the BEC is also advocating for changes to labour laws. The organization wants the Employment Rights Act amended to allow the ERT to reduce financial awards to employees found partially responsible for their termination. They are also seeking changes to redundancy laws, exempting employers from the mandatory six-week consultation period when laying off a single employee and establishing a minimum threshold instead.

The BEC is further advocating for data-driven revisions to minimum wage regulations and wants the Minimum Wage Board to engage in continuous review to allow for incremental changes to the minimum wage. BEC President Gail Ann King expressed concerns about the short timelines given to review legislation on workforce conditions, citing a trend of shorter and shorter timelines.

King stated, "We are asking for some time for persons to properly review legislation. We don't want legislation and decisions that are short-sighted. " The BEC is calling for a mandatory national standard of time to give stakeholders enough time to fully vet upcoming bills and provide fair and balanced feedback to the government.

As the BEC prepares to discuss new labour legislation, the organization is emphasizing the need to ensure that existing enforcement agencies have the necessary resources to effectively implement and enforce labour laws. By highlighting the issue of proper resourcing, the BEC aims to ensure that labour law enforcement agencies can effectively protect the rights of employees and employers in Barbados.

Key Takeaways

• BEC urges gov't to properly resource labour law enforcement agencies, including ERT, to protect workers' rights.
• ERT faces backlog of over 400 cases, highlighting need for adequate resources.
• BEC advocates for changes to labour laws, including Employment Rights Act and redundancy laws.
• Organization seeks data-driven revisions to minimum wage regulations and more time for stakeholders to review legislation.
• BEC emphasizes need for proper resourcing before adding new legislation to ensure effective enforcement.