Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144) - Barbados (Ratification: 1983)

Effective tripartite consultations required by the Convention. The Committee notes the comments from the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), sent to the Government in September 2011. In its previous reports, the Government indicated that it established a Standing Tripartite Committee to ensure effective consultations between representatives of the Government, employers and workers regarding matters covered by the Convention. The BWU wishes for more frequent meetings of the Tripartite Committee although it recognizes that the Subcommittee of the Tripartite Social Partnership meets monthly and full discussions are held there. The infrequency of meetings has caused the Tripartite Committee to be in a position where it is debating matters after the fact rather than before they reach the final decision stage. The BWU also indicates that the Tripartite Committee has failed to follow through on a number of its commitments (for example, the discussions concerning the issues that would be brought before the International Labour Conference have not taken place, and the Chairman of the Tripartite Committee has not been represented in the Barbados Delegation). The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report detailed information on the content and outcome of the tripartite consultations held on matters related to international labour standards covered by Article 5(1) of the Convention.

[The Government is invited to reply in detail to the present comments in 2012.]