CMNT_TITLE

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Antigua and Barbuda (RATIFICATION: 1983)

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It expects that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2024, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

The Committee takes note of the observations of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) received on 1 September 2016, which are of a general nature.

Article 3 of the Convention. Right of organizations to freely organize their activities and to formulate their programmes. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to exclude the Government printing office and the port authority from the list of essential services and to amend the following sections of the Industrial Court Act, 1976: sections 19 and 20, which permit the referral of a dispute to the court by the minister or at the request of one party with the consequent effect of prohibiting strike action under penalty of imprisonment; section 21, which provides for injunctions against a legal strike when the “national interest” is threatened or affected; and section 22, which prohibits direct and indirect financial assistance to a trade union or to any employee involved in a strike declared contrary to any provision of the Act, under penalty of fine or imprisonment. The Committee observes that the Government takes note of the comments made and indicates that consideration will be given to them. Hoping that it will be able to observe progress in the near future, the Committee again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to review, in consultation with the social partners and, if the Government so desires, with the technical assistance of the Office, the Essential Services Act and sections 19, 20, 21 and 22 of the Industrial Court Act, and to provide information on the concrete measures taken or envisaged in this respect.