Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Ratification: 1998)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Protection against acts of anti-union discrimination and interference. In its previous comments, the Committee had requested the Government to take measures to include in the legislation provisions which provide protection against acts of anti-union discrimination and interference by the employer or employers’ organizations in workers’ organizations (and vice versa) and which encourage collective bargaining in the private and public sectors (with the sole possible exception of public servants engaged in the administration of the State). The Committee had noted that a new Labour Relations Bill was awaiting Cabinet’s approval. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that: (i) due to an absence of a functioning tripartite committee for the past two years and the request made by the St-Vincent Employer’s Federation for further consultation on the draft Labour Relations Bill, the Government deferred taking any action until these matters have been appropriately addressed; (ii) the tripartite committee has now been reactivated and a series of consultations will be held during the remainder of this year; and (iii) the draft Labour Relations Bill does in fact include provisions against trade union discrimination and interference by respective employers’ and workers’ organizations. In this regard, the Committee recalls that the provisions should not only include protection against trade union discrimination and interference by respective employers’ and workers’ organizations, but also by the employer or any person acting on behalf of that employer.

The Committee notes that the ILO’s memorandum of technical comments on the new Bill amending the Labour Relations Act, 2001, was transmitted to the Government in March 2010.

The Committee hopes that the new Labour Relations Bill will address the abovementioned issues and ensure the full conformity with the Convention and once again requests the Government to indicate the progress made in this regard.