Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144) - Grenada (Ratification: 1994)

1. Tripartite consultations required by the Convention. In reply to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s report received in April 2006, which refers to the provisions of the Employment Act, 1999, establishing the Labour Advisory Board. The Committee again requests the Government to provide particulars of the consultations held by the Labour Advisory Board on each of the matters referred to in section 21(2)(a) of the Employment Act, 1999. In this respect, the Committee recalls the comments that it has been making for several years regretting that the Government has not provided information on the consultations held on all the matters covered by Article 5 of the Convention, and in particular in relation to the obligation to submit to Parliament the instruments adopted by the Conference (article 19 of the ILO Constitution). It recalls that the Convention calls upon the Government to consult the representative organizations before finalizing the proposals to be submitted to Parliament in relation to the constitutional obligation to submit the instruments adopted by the Conference (Article 5, paragraph 1(b), of the Convention).

2. Financing of training. The Committee recalls that, where training for participants of consultations proves necessary to enable them to perform their functions effectively, its financing should be provided through appropriate arrangements between the Government and the representative organizations (paragraphs 125 and 126 of the General Survey of 2000 on tripartite consultation). The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether such arrangements have been made and, if so, to describe them (Article 4, paragraph 2).

3. Operation of the consultation procedures. The Committee recalls that Article 6 does not impose an obligation to issue an annual report, but that it does require tripartite consultations to be held on whether or not such a report should be issued. The General Survey of 2000 indicates in this respect that the annual report could, for example, include information on the composition of the consultative bodies, the number of meetings, their agenda, the proposals made and the conclusions reached (paragraph 131). The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether the Labour Advisory Board has discussed this matter and to indicate the outcome of these consultations.

4. The Committee recalls that the Government can call upon, if it considers it appropriate, the advice and assistance of the Office on the matters raised by this observation so that effective tripartite consultations can be held on the subjects covered by the Convention.