international labour organization subregional ofﬁce for

International Labour OrganizationSubregional Office for the Caribbean

HIGHLIGHTSof ILO’s Work in the Caribbean (April 2004- April 2007)

Highlights of the International Labour Organization’s work in the Caribbean

April 2004 to April 2007

Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – April 2004-April 2007

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Overview 1 2. Areas of work 2

2.1 Donor- and ILO-funded Technical Cooperation Projects 2

2.2 Training and advocacy 12

2.3 Technical advisory services 17

2.4 Research, publishing and public information 20

3. The Way Forward 21

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1. Overview

The International Labour Organization’s support to its constituents in the Caribbean during the period April 2004 to April 2007 was guided by the overarching theme of “Making Decent Work a global goal.” The goal of decent work is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain full and productive employment in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Decent work brings together the four strategic objectives of the ILO. They constitute a coherent framework for ILO action in support of the Decent Work Agenda at all levels - from the local to the global level. Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) are the mechanisms through which the ILO will collaborate with its constituents to make decent work integral to their development strategies.

Decent Work Agenda for growth with equity

The Decent Work Agenda strives for economic growth with equity through a coherent blend of social and economic goals. It has four elements: • Employment – the principal route out of poverty is through work and income • Rights – without them, men and women will not be empowered to escape from

poverty • Protection – social protection safeguards income and underpins health • Dialogue – the participation of employers’ and workers’ organizations in shaping

government policy for poverty reduction ensures that it is appropriate and sustainable.

Source: Decent Work and the Millennium Development Goals – an information folder

Since 2005 the concept of decent work as a central goal of economic and social development has found resonance in a number of international fora. The following are illustrative:

• the World Summit (UN, New York, 2005); • the High-Level Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council

(ECOSOC) (Geneva, 2006); • the Fourth Summit of the Americas (Mar del Plata, 2005); • the XIV Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour (Mexico, 2005); • the ILO Sixteenth American Regional Meeting at which a Decade for the

Promotion of Decent Work was launched (Brasilia, 2006); and

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• the 45th Session of the UN Commission for Social Development had as its priority theme “Promoting full employment and Decent Work for all” (New York, March 2006 - February 2007).

In March 2004, one month before the Fifth Meeting of Caribbean Labour Ministers, the ILO tripartite subregional workshop on Decent Work and Development Policies was held in Trinidad and Tobago. The objective was to encourage member States to adopt decent work as a goal around which their economic, social and environmental policies should converge. In October 2006 a Tripartite Declaration and Plan of Action for Realizing the Decent Work Agenda was adopted at the ILO Tripartite Caribbean Employment Forum held in Barbados. That has laid the foundation for the development of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs). These are the mechanisms through which the ILO will support efforts to make decent work a national goal. Preparatory work is now under way for initiating national consultations on DWCPs with the ILO’s tripartite constituents, as well as other stakeholders and development partners. The signing of a cooperation agreement on 9 February 2007 by the ILO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to mainstream decent work in joint country programmes has added impetus to realizing the global goal of decent work. Within the framework of the ILO-CARICOM Cooperation Agreement (May 1982) the ILO continues to support the work of the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and CARICOM institutions. This collaboration is being intensified as work progresses towards the deepening of the regional integration process. This report on the ILO’s programme of work in the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean since the last Labour Ministers’ Meeting (April 2004) focuses on the following: donor- and ILO-funded technical cooperation projects; training and advocacy; technical advisory services; and research, publications and public information, each impacting on one or more of the ILO’s strategic objectives. 2. Areas of Work 2.1. Donor- and ILO-funded Technical Cooperation The International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) National Programme in Jamaica and the Caribbean Labour Market Information Systems Project (CLMIS) ended in 2004, while the Programme for the Promotion of Management-Labour Cooperation (PROMALCO) and the regional project for Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean ended in 2005 and 2006

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respectively. The ILO Subregional Office provides technical and administrative support to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the projects. The projects served to increase awareness of the principles of management-labour cooperation and their impact on productivity and competitiveness, both at the enterprise and national levels. A heightened awareness of the worst forms of child labour has prompted some countries to ratify the ILO child labour Conventions, to conduct national surveys to ascertain their child labour situation (Belize and Jamaica) and also to revise the laws as they pertain to child protection (Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago). The CLMIS project laid the basis for enhancing the capacity of statistical units in certain countries to generate timely, reliable and internationally-comparable labour market information, the results of which continue to bear fruit. For example, The Bahamas and Guyana have completed their second and third occupational wage surveys respectively, using the survey instruments and methodology of the CLMIS project. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has undertaken to implement a labour market information system as a follow-up to the CLMIS project.

Recently-concluded ILO projects Title

Programme for the Promotion of Management-Labour Cooperation (PROMALCO) (Phases 1 and 2)

Donor Intended Beneficiaries Start/End dates Budget Objectives Outputs

United States Department of Labor (US DOL) English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries Phase 1 – January 2001- December 2002; Phase 2 – January 2003 – October 2005 Phase 1 – US$1,862,096; Phase 2 – US$1,590,000 (Total: US$3,452,096) To enhance management-labour cooperation and promote respect for fundamental principles and rights at work as a means for improving the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises. • Interactive CD-ROM containing the products of the Project (including the

publications New issues in collective bargaining and Trust-building manual).

• Benchmarking tool for use by enterprises – CD-ROM based on the results of a 2003 Caribbean Enterprise Survey.

• Publication documenting good practices in management-labour cooperation at the national, sectoral and enterprise levels - Productivity improvement through strengthening management-labour cooperation – the Caribbean experience, by I. Christopher Imoisili and Andre-Vincent Henry (2004).

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Recently-concluded ILO projects Impact to date

• A heightened awareness of and commitment to management-labour

cooperation, and building trust through social dialogue as a means for contributing to increased productivity and competitiveness.

• A trained cadre of tripartite constituents with an interest in using the skills and knowledge acquired.

Title

Combating the worst forms of child labour in the Caribbean (Phases I and II)

Donor Intended Beneficiaries Start/End dates Budget Objectives Outputs Impact to date

Government of Canada The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica (project initiated 2005) Phase 1: April 2001 – June 2006; Phase 2: June 2003 – March 2007 Phase 1: US$ 597,082; Phase 2 - US$ 750,000 (Total: US$1,347,082) To contribute to the prevention and elimination of the worst forms of child labour in the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean by developing the capacity to promote and implement policies and programmes that give effect to ILO Convention No. 182.

• rapid assessment of the situation with respect to child labour in project countries

• national review and publication of child labour laws in The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago

• publication of comparative review of child labour laws in project countries.

• dissemination of awareness-raising materials to all project countries for annual commemoration of World Day against Child Labour (June12).

• national consultations on tackling child labour through education in Guyana and Jamaica

• subregional workshop on combating child labour in indigenous communities in Belize, Guyana and Suriname.

Increased awareness and initiatives by tripartite constituents and other stakeholders as evidenced by the establishment of National Steering Committees on Child Labour in all project countries.

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Recently-concluded ILO projects

Action Programmes developed for the prevention and withdrawal of child labourers in Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Draft lists of hazardous occupations for children compiled in Barbados, Belize and Guyana in the later part of 2005, and in Jamaica in January 2006. As a follow-up, these lists must now be adopted and disseminated. National child labour committees have been instrumental in having ‘child labour’ included in national plans of action on the rights of the child in Belize and Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica has appointed a Focal Point for child labour in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. As a result of this project, the ILO is now a member of the recently established Regional Task Force on Child Rights and Protection which is spearheaded by the CARICOM Secretariat and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Title

Development of a Caribbean Labour Market Information System (CLMIS)

Donor Intended Beneficiaries Start/End dates Budget Objectives Outputs Impact to date

United States Department of Labor (US DOL) English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries and territories September 2001 – December 2004 US$1,075,000 To develop and strengthen national labour market information systems that would generate reliable, timely and internationally comparable labour statistics for use by government policymakers, employers and trade unionists. A series of Working Papers, a Caribbean Labour Market Information Library on CD-ROM, and the Caribbean Occupational Information Exchange Facility, also on CD-ROM. National Classifications of Occupations (NCO) completed Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago Labour Market Information (LMI) Plans established The Bahamas, Barbados, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Lucia, Saint

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Recently-concluded ILO projects

Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. Labour Force Survey (LFS) implemented (Saint Kitts and Nevis) and enhanced (Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles). Occupational Wage Survey (OWS) implemented (Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago) and enhanced (Saint Lucia and The Bahamas). Evaluation undertaken to determine the potential of National Insurance Schemes (NIS) as a source of LMI (The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Netherlands Antilles). Country-specific Labour Market Information Libraries (LMIL) established (Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago). The Bahamas has to date completed its second survey on occupational wages since the Project’s intervention. The Statistical Unit of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security of Guyana recently completed its third survey on occupational wages and hours of work. St. Vincent and the Grenadines plans to implement an LMI system.

Title

Benchmarking and Best Practices of National Employers’ Organizations (NEOs)

Intended Beneficiaries Start/End dates Budget Objectives

The NEOs of Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago January 2004 – December 2005 US$ 150,000 – financed through the Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO, Geneva) To contribute to strengthening the capacity of national employers’ organizations (NEOs) to fulfill their roles and responsibilities as social partners and to provide new and better services to their members.

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Recently-concluded ILO projects Outputs Impact to date

Individual strategic plans developed based on the results of surveys. Areas selected for focus included training and advisory services in: human resources management (HRM); industrial relations (IR); occupational safety and health (OSH); HIV and AIDS; enterprise development; productivity; skills development; and social protection. National and subregional training workshops, attachments and fellowships for NEO officials to other employer organizations (i.e., Geneva, New Zealand, Turin). Benchmarking profiles established; new products and services introduced (i.e., establishment of the IR Academy in the Employers’ Consultative Association (ECA) of Trinidad and Tobago; HIV and AIDS and OSH advisory services offered by the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC); Advocacy for legislation for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development by the Saint Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SKNCIC) NEO officials and membership have better knowledge of good IR and HRM techniques. IR and HRM functions within NEO member enterprises are better appreciated amongst chief executive officers (CEOs) and HRM practitioners.

Title

Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development and the Informal Economy

Intended Beneficiaries Start/End dates Budget Objectives Outputs

Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Suriname January 2004 – December 2005 US$60,000 – financed through the Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO, Geneva) To contribute to the efforts of NEOs for the development of the private sector in general, and targeting, in particular, small and medium enterprises in the informal economy. Results of surveys and research to determine the business and institutional environment, define the SME sector, identify training needs of SME operators

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Recently-concluded ILO projects Impact to date

and particularly those of women entrepreneurs. Findings submitted to government policy makers and to the ILO; and active participation in the drafting of national SME policy (e.g. SKNCIC of Saint Kitts and Nevis). NEO officials have better knowledge of ILO Recommendation No. 189 (SME development) and have undertaken to using it in drafting policy. NEOs extend representation, forge new partnerships (including with small business associations), and provide training and advisory services to SMEs in the informal economy (e.g. post-crisis response in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in Grenada).

Title

Employers Promoting the Global Compact

Intended Beneficiaries Start/End dates Budget Objectives Outputs Impact to date

The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago January 2004 – December 2005 US$ 54,000 – financed through the Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO, Geneva) To promote respect for fundamental principles and rights at work, encourage compliance with laws and respect for codes of ethics, and establish guidelines for business conduct. Training workshops and awareness-raising on the UN Global Compact and its relevance for corporate social responsibility and Decent Work. Steps taken to subscribe to the Global Compact (e.g. the ECA of Trinidad and Tobago and some of its members).

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Ongoing ILO projects Title

HIV/AIDS Workplace Education Programme

Donor Intended Beneficiaries Start/End dates Budget Objectives Impact to date

US Department of Labor (US DOL) Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago Barbados and Jamaica: July 2004 - December 2007 Belize and Guyana: mid-2003 – December 2007 Trinidad and Tobago: September 2005 – June 2008 Barbados and Jamaica: US$1,548,570 Belize: US$402,518 Guyana: US$396,792 Trinidad and Tobago: US$420,000 To contribute to the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the world of work, the enhancement of workplace protection and the reduction of its adverse consequences on social, labour, and economic development. Barbados: Work has been initiated on the development of a sustainability plan. Belize: Eighteen enterprises developed HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programmes and collaborated with the National AIDS Commission to organize country-wide consultations on a National HIV/AIDS policy and a National HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy, which were endorsed by Cabinet in 2006. A sustainability plan has been developed by the tripartite stakeholders. Guyana: A follow-up project has been initiated with funding from President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Jamaica: Sixteen enterprises from four sectors are actively participating in the project. Fourteen enterprises have written an HIV/AIDS policy, and 57 peer educators have been trained. Trinidad and Tobago: a cadre of persons has been trained in promoting HIV and AIDS as a workplace issue; a network of organizations has been established to sustain the work of the project. The Project is at present collaborating with the Employers’ Consultative Association (ECA) to work with the National Barbering Association of Trinidad

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Ongoing ILO projects

and Tobago (NBATT) and its members, and to provide business management training as well as to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.

Title

Harmonization of Labour Legislation in ILO member States in the English- and Dutch-Speaking Caribbean

Donor Intended Beneficiaries Start/End dates Budget Objectives Outputs

Government of Canada Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago June 2006 - ongoing US$307,018 To evaluate the extent to which national labour legislation and policies are consistent with fundamental principles and rights at work, relevant ILO Conventions and CARICOM model labour laws. Results of the review of national legislation and policies completed and national tripartite consultations organized.

Title

Project on Implementing HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programmes in selected countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean

Donor Intended Beneficiaries Duration Budget Objectives

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund Suriname 24 months (commencing 2007) US$140,000 To strengthen the awareness, technical capacity and institutional capabilities of the government and the workplace partners to support the development and effective implementation of workplace policies and programmes aimed at preventing the spread of HIV and mitigating the impact of AIDS on social and economic development.

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Ongoing ILO projects Title Follow-up on Implementation of Recommendations of the

Diagnostic Studies of Labour Administration Systems of Jamaica and Saint Lucia


Jamaica and Saint Lucia August 2006 - ongoing US$19,993 – financed through ILO’s Programme on Promoting the Declaration To review action to date on implementation of the recommendations of the diagnostic studies and to set priorities and plans for further work. Report based on consultations and establishment of priority areas for action in 2007/08

Title

Project to promote awareness of and respect for Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in the Caribbean Subregion


CARICOM member States November 2006 – ongoing US$12,000 – financed through ILO’s Programme on Promoting the Declaration Tripartite constituents in Caribbean countries will give effect to fundamental principles and rights at work when they draw up and implement policies addressing the social and labour impact of regional integration; and they will advocate for their inclusion in policy initiatives involving other key stakeholders. Report highlighting links between fundamental principles and rights (FPRs) and the social and labour aspects of regional integration, making practical recommendations for promotional products and initiatives for raising the visibility of FPRs.

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2.2. Training and advocacy In addition to the regional training activities listed hereunder the ILO Subregional Office also conducted several national training workshops in response to specific requests from constituents. Standards and Fundamental principles and rights at work Title: Training Workshop on Reporting on ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182 for

countries participating in the sub-regional Project “Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in the Caribbean”.

Date: 6 - 9 March 2007 Venue: Jamaica Beneficiaries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad

and Tobago Partners: ILO International Training Centre, Turin; International Labour Standards

Department, ILO Geneva Title: Developing campaigns for the ratification of ILO Conventions for the trade unions

in the agriculture and hotel sectors in the Caribbean Date: 5-7 March 2007 Venue: Barbados Beneficiaries: Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis,

Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago Partners: Bureau for Workers’ Activities, ILO Geneva Title: Training Workshop on Reporting on International Labour Standards for Selected

Countries in the Caribbean Date: 26 February – 1 March 2007 Venue: Roseau, Dominica Beneficiaries: ILO Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Dominica,

Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia; Non-Metropolitan Territories: Aruba

Partners: International Labour Standards Department, ILO Geneva Title: Combating Child Labour in Indigenous Communities Date: 18 May 2006 Venue: Suriname Beneficiaries: Belize, Guyana, Suriname

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Title: Combating Child Labour in the Caribbean – Lessons Learnt, The way forward Date: 20 April 2006 Venue: Trinidad and Tobago Beneficiaries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia,

Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago Title: Child Labour in the Caribbean: Planning Workshop of Caribbean Representatives

of National Child Labour Committees Date: 28 October 2004 Venue: Trinidad and Tobago Beneficiaries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad

and Tobago Title: Subregional meeting on international labour standards for lawyers, judges and

legal educators Date: 17-21 May 2004 Venue: Trinidad and Tobago Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica,

Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; Non-metropolitan territories: Bermuda, Cayman Islands

Partners: ILO International Training Centre, Turin, Italy

Ratifications of ILO Conventions by Caribbean Countries, April 2004 - April 2007

Country Date Convention

The Bahamas 14:12:2006 C185 Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003

Belize

09:11:2005 C183 Maternity Protection Convention, 2000

15:07:2005 P147 Protocol of 1996 to the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976

Dominica 26.07.2004 C150 Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150)

Jamaica 04:11:2005 C152 Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979

Saint Kitts and Nevis 03:06:2005 C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

25:07:2006 C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973

Suriname 12:04:2006 C181 Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997

12:04:2006 C182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999

Trinidad and Tobago 03:09:2004 C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973

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Employment Title: Tripartite Caribbean Employment Forum: Responding to globalization: A Decent

Work Agenda for the Caribbean in the context of regional integration Date: 10-12 October 2006 Venue: Barbados Beneficiaries: ILO Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados,

Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago Non-metropolitan territories: Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Netherlands Antilles

Title: Subregional Seminar on the Production and Use of Household Income and Expenditure Statistics, Eastern Caribbean

Date: November 2005 Venue: Saint Lucia Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts

and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Partners: Bureau of Statistics (ILO, Geneva) and ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean

(SRO-POS) Title : Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)/ILO Course on ‘Creating an Enabling

Environment for Small and Medium Enterprise Development in the Caribbean’ Date : 3- 14 October 2005 Venue : Jamaica Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana,

Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia; Non-Metropolitan territories: British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands

Title: Sub-regional Workshop for Caribbean Employers’ Organizations on “Small and

Medium Enterprise Development in the Informal Economy” Date: 23-25 May 2005 Venue: Jamaica Beneficiaries: Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis and

Suriname Title: First Caribbean Labour Market Information (LMI) Conference Date: 17-19 October 2004 Venue: Trinidad and Tobago Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica,

Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint

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Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; Non-Metropolitan territories: Cayman Islands, Netherlands Antilles

Title: Regional technical training workshop on applying Information Communication

Technology to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) practitioners

Date: 5-11 September 2004 Venue: Jamaica Beneficiaries: Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago Partners: ILO Inter-American Centre on Vocational Training (CINTERFOR), HEART Trust

National Training Agency, Jamaica; Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI), Jamaica; Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA).

Social protection Title: Tripartite Workshop on the Development of a Strategic Approach to Occupational

Safety and Health in Caribbean Countries Date: 12-15 December 2005 Venue: Trinidad and Tobago Beneficiaries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago Partners: ILO International Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment

(ILO, Geneva) Title: Caribbean Sub-regional Training Workshop for Labour and Occupational Safety

and Health Inspectors/Officers in Agriculture Date: 26 - 30 September 2005 Venue: Guyana Beneficiaries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica,

Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; Non-Metropolitan territories: British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat

Partners: ILO International Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (ILO, Geneva), Sectoral Activities (ILO, Geneva), ILO Regional Office, Lima, and the International Association of Labour Inspectors (IALI)

Title: Caribbean Subregional Training Workshop for Government Labour Inspectors Date: March 2005 Venue: Guyana Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica,

Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; Non-Metropolitan territories: Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Turks and Caicos Islands

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Title: Training workshop on the use of the draft Behaviour Change Communication Tool Kit for HIV/AIDS

Date: March 2005 Venue: Guyana Beneficiaries: Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Jamaica Social dialogue Title: ILO Symposium for employers’ organizations of countries of the Organization of

Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Date: 6-7 February 2006 Venue: Castries, Saint Lucia Beneficiaries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint

Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Title: Trade Union Seminar on Information technology and the creation of World Wide Web sites

Date: 5 -9 December 2005 Venue: Barbados Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada,

Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago Non-metropolitan territory: Montserrat

Title: Trade Union Consultations on Seeking Solutions to the Crisis in the Banana and

Sugar Industries Date: 4-6 July 2005 Venue: Barbados Beneficiaries: Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and

Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago

Title: Subregional Workshop for Caribbean Employers’ Organizations on Small and

Medium Enterprise Development in the Informal Economy Date: 23-25 May 2005, Venue: Jamaica Beneficiaries: Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis and

Suriname

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Title: Tenth ILO Round Table for Employers’ Organizations Date: 4-6 April 2005, Venue: Bermuda Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica,

Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

Title: ILO Subregional Training Workshop on Conciliation/Mediation Date: 7-16 December 2004 Venue: Jamaica Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Montserrat,

Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago; Non-Metropolitan territories: Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands,

Partners: Participating governments, Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Jamaica Title: Seminar on Regional Integration and Implications for the Labour Movement Date: 18-20 October 2004, Venue: Suriname Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica,

Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

Partners: ILO-PROMALCO, Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL)

2.3. Technical Advisory Services The ILO Subregional Office responds to specific requests for technical support, information and advisory services. These may be delivered in collaboration with officials from the technical units at ILO Headquarters, experts in ILO databases, and experts from employers’ and workers’ organizations in the Caribbean.

Responses to requests for technical support, information and advisory services

Date Area of support Form of support Beneficiaries May 2004 –June 2006

Cooperatives Technical advice, training and support for the drawing up of national policy on cooperatives in Trinidad and Tobago

Caribbean Cooperative Credit Union (CCCU); Government of Trinidad and Tobago

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Date Area of support Form of support Beneficiaries Ongoing Decent Work Technical support to CARICOM for

the provision of a social floor CARICOM members

September 2006 to present

Employment Technical advice to government and the social partners on the subject of the minimum wage

Suriname

2004-2005 Labour Administration

Diagnostic study of Labour Administration Services

Saint Lucia Jamaica

August 2004

Labour Administration

Functional and organizational review of the Department of Labour

Saint Kitts and Nevis

December 2005

Labour Administration

Functional and organizational Review of the Department of Labour

Turks and Caicos Islands

March 2006 Labour Administration

Functional and Organizational Review of the Department of Labour

Bermuda

April 2006 Labour Administration

Functional and Organizational Review of the Department of Labour

Dominica

March 2007 Labour Legislation

Technical and advisory services to Bermuda via teleconference

Bermuda

February-March 2007

Occupational Safety and Health

Training for tripartite constituents and other stakeholders for the development of policy and action to address psychosocial issues at the workplace using the ILO’s Stress, Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs, HIV/AIDS and Violence (SOLVE) educational programme

Suriname

March-April 2007

Occupational Safety and Health

Provision of ILO expert for guest lectures of the Occupational Environmental and Health Programme of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica

Jamaica

5-7 and 2-14 December 2006

Small business training

Small business trainers of the Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP) benefit from ILO’s Start and Improve Your Business Training Programme

Trinidad and Tobago

Initiated before April 2004 and completed 2005

Social Security Actuarial reviews and basic capacity building for social security administrations under ILO Umbrella Programme

Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia

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Date Area of support Form of support Beneficiaries Initiated before start of review period and completed 2005

Social Security Ad hoc actuarial services to governments and social security institutions

Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Saint Lucia

May 2006 Social Security Technical review of the national health insurance system

The Bahamas

November 2005

Technical and Vocational Training

Technical advice and support for the launch of the umbrella organization – Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA)

Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago

Sep 2006-March 2007

Technical and Vocational Training

Technical review of the Training Fund of the Barbados Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council

Barbados

May 2007 Workers’ Activities

Partnering with the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) of Barbados through the Caribbean Congress of Labour to provide technical advice to the workers’ organizations and to the national tripartite committee with respect to labour/trade union matters.

Anguilla

March 2007 Youth Employment

Review of policies, practices and institutional arrangements for the training and employment of young persons

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

ILO Representation on United Nations Committees and national and regional entities

The ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean (SRO) participates in the United Nations (UN) Country Teams that cover the 13 countries and eight non-metropolitan territories. The ILO is also represented on the Joint UN Team for HIV/AIDS and committees to examine UN Common Country Assessments and UN Development Assistance Frameworks.

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ILO also contributes to the work of regional entities such as the Caribbean Tripartite Council (CTC) of the Pan American Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP), the CARICOM Regional Task Force on Child Rights and Protection which is spearheaded by CARICOM Secretariat and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and more recently, in the Steering Committee (Trinidad and Tobago) for preparing the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour (IACML). On a national level, ILO is represented on the “Vision 2020” Committee on Manpower, the Business and Labour Advisory Committee and the National AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) in Trinidad and Tobago. The ILO continues to respond to requests to provide resource persons at various external government, business, labour and social fora, including public lectures at academic institutions. 2.4. Research, publications and public information Research was carried out and published within the framework of ILO projects in the Caribbean. In addition, during the period under review, the Subregional Office produced the following monographs, some of which were in response to recommendations made at the Fifth Meeting of Caribbean Labour Ministers (The Bahamas, April 2004), which called for handbooks on the national systems of industrial relations. Goolsarran, Samuel J. (2006), Industrial Relations in the Caribbean: Issues and Perspectives (ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, Port of Spain) ------ (2005) Labour Administration Services in the Caribbean: A Guide (ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, Port of Spain) ------ (2005) Caribbean Labour Relations Systems: An Overview (ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, Port of Spain) ILO/UNESCO (2006), An HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy for the Education Sector in the Caribbean Piroe, Glenn (2006), The System of Industrial Relations in Suriname (ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, Port of Spain) In addition to its publications, the Subregional Office also produced a newsletter to disseminate timely information on the work of the office to constituents and other stakeholders. The quarterly “ILO Update” which was launched in 2002 was re-branded to a bi-monthly e-newsletter “ILO Caribbean Newslink” in 2007. An HIV/AIDS quarterly e-newletter" Workplace response to HIV/AIDS" was launched in 2006. The Office continues to maintain its website at www.ilocarib.org.tt and its online information

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service, as well as to respond to information requests. The Office also serves as the regional distributor for ILO sale publications. The Office promotes its work through the use of the broadcast and print media. Major ILO events have attracted wide media coverage resulting in higher visibility of the ILO and its work. Press, television and radio interviews have also been conducted by ILO specialists and project managers in an effort to promote the ILO's specific programmes and projects. The Office is represented in the United Nations Communication Group and works closely with other UN agencies to increase awareness of UN activities in Trinidad and Tobago and to promote the UN Day observances, including the ILO World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28) and the World Day against Child Labour (June 12). 3. The Way Forward In line with the Tripartite Declaration and Plan of Action for Realizing the Decent Work Agenda in the Caribbean (adopted on 12 October 2006), the SRO-POS has taken initial steps towards the development of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) in the Caribbean. To date, policy reviews have been prepared for Barbados, Jamaica, members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and Trinidad and Tobago. Similar policy reviews are in progress for The Bahamas, Belize and Suriname. This process will also be undertaken in Guyana and the non-metropolitan territories. The information generated will serve as the basis for the national tripartite consultations as agreed at the Tripartite Caribbean Employment Forum (Barbados, October 2006). In the Decent Work Country Programming process “…constituents will review their own priorities and determine those areas where they would need support and advice from the ILO in order to advance towards the goal of Decent Work for all.”1

1 Tripartite Declaration and Plan of Action for Realizing the Decent Work Agenda in the Caribbean, (October, 2006) Section IV., Follow-up, p.7

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