Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150) - Antigua and Barbuda (Ratification: 2002)

Other comments on C150

Direct Request

2014
2009

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Articles 1 and 4 of the Convention. Effective operation of a system of labour administration. The Committee previously noted that a review of the functions and organizational structure of the Department of Labour took place in 2004, with a view to restructuring the Department, within the framework of the reform of the public sector. The final report of this review raised a number of concerns, including the need for better collaboration between the Department of Labour and the Industrial Court, and made a number of recommendations regarding the organizational structure of the Department. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Department of Labour is the central body with responsibility for labour administration in the country. The Labour Department employs 64 workers and includes units on labour relations, labour inspection, employment, labour statistics, free movement within the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy and matters related to the ILO. The Committee also notes the information provided by the Government under the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), in 2012, that public sector reform was ongoing. The Committee asks that the Government provide information on any measures taken, including within the ongoing public sector reform, to ensure the effective operation of the labour administration system. It also asks the Government to provide information on any measures taken to facilitate coordination within the labour administration system, including between the Department of Labour and the Industrial Court.

Article 5. Consultation, cooperation and negotiation between the public authorities and employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the labour relations unit, within the Department of Labour, promotes and maintains regular dialogue with representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations with a view to informing them about the labour policies of the Government. The Government also indicates that the Labour Code establishes two tripartite bodies: the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee, which is constituted every two years to review the national minimum wage, and the National Labour Board, which is charged with reviewing national labour laws and policies. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the operation of the National Labour Board, including the frequency of its meetings and the matters addressed, and to supply any reports or documents relating to these activities. It also requests the Government to provide a copy of the most recent report of the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee, with its next report.

Article 10. Human resources and material means necessary for the operation of the labour administration system. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that there is one central agency for providing equipment and transport facilities within the public service. The Committee recalls that the final report of the review of the Department of Labour, undertaken in 2004, raised concerns regarding the difficult physical accommodation and working conditions under which staff of the Department of Labour worked, as well as the need for a full complement of trained staff. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on measures taken to ensure that the material means and financial resources allocated to the labour administration system are sufficient for the effective exercise of its functions. It also requests the Government to provide information on the criteria and procedures followed for the recruitment of labour administration staff, as well as the training provided during the course of their service.