Labour Department to get a boost

Resources in the Ministry of Labour are set to get a boost as Barbados welcomes nationals from St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and Belize to reside and work here indefinitely.

Minister of Labour Colin Jordan, during debate on the Caribbean Community (Free Movement of Nationals) Bill, 2025 in the House of Assembly on Monday night, said that about 52 people from the three countries have already registered with the Ministry of Labour. 

He noted that collaboration among the immigration departments and chief labour officers and labour commissions/departments in the four countries had started, “so that we are on the same page”. 

Jordan said for the seven years the current Barbados Labour Party administration has been in office, it has been strengthening labour legislation “not just for people who are coming in, but for workers”, and they were “satisfied that at this moment, when we opened a full free movement across the four countries to have signed up, that we have in place legislation to protect against discrimination”.

“We are satisfied that we have legislation, including regulations, in place to address many of the safety and health challenges that we face in workplaces. We are satisfied that we have put in place minimum wage legislation to ensure that there is not exploitation of workers in this country. 

“We are satisfied that we have enacted legislation that says any employing organisation in this country that receives concessions from the State, concessions from the country, must meet a minimum threshold with respect to how they interact, relate to those in their employ. 

“We are satisfied that we have put measures in place legislatively that call for construction companies when they engage in Government contracts, that they have to meet certain rates of pay and conditions of work. We are satisfied that we have put systems in place to make sure that those who come to work are not exploited, just like those who were already here, are not exploited.” 

The Member of Parliament for St Peter said Prime Minister Mia Mottley had given “preliminary approval” for “a significant increase in the resource allocation” for the Labour Department, because it “must be more active” regarding inspections, and further develop skills in how it deals with various sectors and industries.

“We are going to be close to doubling our complement of labour officers very soon,” he said, adding this would ensure the department was capable of addressing all [of] the issues that might come before it, and focus “on ensuring both the dignity of work” and the worker.

Jordan said a declining population was not a trivial matter as it had implications for production which, if lessened, would impact economic activity and translate to less consumption which does not bode for the country as this could in turn lead to fewer investments. 

Long term, it will affect the standard of living and an inability “to sustain all the services that we provide as a country”, he said. (GBM)

The post Labour Department to get a boost appeared first on nationnews.com.