Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1990, published 77th ILC session (1990)

Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards) Convention, 1962 (No. 117) - Bahamas (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee notes the Government's report and notes the measures that have been taken to improve the housing conditions and social security protection of certain categories of the most underprivileged workers. The Committee also notes that a general reform of the labour legislation is currently under way and hopes that this reform will be adopted in the near future and that, in the meanwhile, the Government will be able to supply full and detailed information in its next report in reply to each of the points set out below, which have been the subject of its comments for a number of years:

Article 4(b) and (c) of the Convention. The Committee noted the information supplied by the Government on the policy concerning the distribution of land to foreigners and points out once again that the above provisions of the Convention prescribe the control over the transfer of agricultural land to persons who are not farmers and it hopes that the Government will also indicate its policy in respect of the control over the transfer of agricultural land to nationals who are not farmers. It also requests the Government to supply the text of any legislation including the principles of national land policy that may have been promulgated in the matter.

Article 4(d). Please indicate the measures that have been taken to give effect to this provision concerning the supervision of tenancy arrangements and of working conditions with a view to securing for tenants and labourers the highest practicable standards of living and an equitable share of any advantages which may result from improvements in productivity or in price levels.

Article 4(e). Please supply the text of the statement concerning co-operatives made before Parliament to which the Government has referred in its previous reports.

Article 5. Please indicate the measures that have been taken to guarantee to wage earners whose minimum wage is not fixed by collective agreement and to independent producers the maintenance of a minimum level of living and to determine this level of living by means of official surveys, in accordance with the above provision of the Convention.

Articles 6, 7, 8 and 9. Please indicate how effect is given to these Articles of the Convention, which concern migrant workers, and supply the information called for in this connection by the report form adopted by the Governing Body.

Article 10, paragraph 1. Please indicate the sectors of activity in which minimum wages are fixed by collective agreements and, if possible, supply the text of some of these collective agreements.

Article 10, paragraphs 3 and 4. Please indicate the legislative or practical measures that have been taken to ensure that wages actually paid are not lower than the minimum rates that are applicable and that workers who have received wages lower than these rates have the right to recover the amounts remaining due to them by judicial or other means authorised by law, in accordance with the above provisions of the Convention.

Article 12. Please indicate the measures taken by the competent authority to regulate the maximum amounts of advances on wages and to give effect to paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article, which concern the limits imposed on the amount of these advances and the measures taken to render legally irrecoverable any advance made in excess of the above limits, in accordance with the above Article of the Convention.

Article 13. Please indicate the measures that have been taken to give effect to this Article, concerning the encouragement of thrift and the protection of wage earners and independent producers against usury.

Article 14. Please indicate the measures that have been taken to abolish all discrimination among workers on grounds of race, colour, sex, belief, tribal association or trade union affiliation in all the cases set out in paragraph 1(a) to (i) of this Article, and the measures that have been taken to lessen the differences in wage rates due to discrimination on the above grounds, in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article.

The Committee trusts that the Government will not fail to supply the information requested above.