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

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Barbados (Ratification: 1967)

The Committee notes the Government’s report.

The Committee recalls that in its previous comments it had advised the Government to amend section 4 of the Better Security Act, 1920, according to which, any person who wilfully broke a contract of service or hiring, knowing that this could endanger real or personal property, was liable to a fine or up to three months’ imprisonment, so as to eliminate the possibility of invoking it in case of future strikes, with the possible exception of those in essential services in the strict sense of the term. The Committee once again notes the Government’s indication that this provision has never been invoked in the context of strike action. Recalling that the Government has been indicating its intention to amend the Better Security Act since 1984, the Committee strongly encourages the Government to make every effort to take the necessary action in order to amend the Act in the very near future and requests the Government to keep it informed in this respect.

As concerns the Committee’s previous request to provide information on developments in the process of reviewing legislation regarding trade union recognition, the Committee notes the lack of progress in this respect and hopes that the process which began in 1998 would soon result in adoption of a new legislation. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed in this respect.