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

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Barbados (Ratification: 1974)

Legislative developments. The Committee notes the observations by the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), dated 31 August 2011, expressing disappointment at the time it has taken to enact legislation with respect to sexual harassment and employment rights. The BWU also indicates that the Employment Rights Bill will address discrimination in employment and occupation based on union status, HIV/AIDS status, disability, military and civic obligations imposed by law, pregnancy, race, colour, gender, marital status, religion, age, political opinion, national extraction, social origin or indigenous origin, or where the employee is responsible for the care and welfare of a child or a dependent family member. The Committee notes that it has been commenting for many years that the existing legislation does not provide full legislative protection against discrimination as defined under the Convention and that, in this context, the Government has been referring to the Employment Rights Bill since 2004. The Committee asks the Government to take steps without further delay to ensure full legislative protection against direct and indirect discrimination in all aspects of employment and occupation, for all workers, on all the grounds enumerated in Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention, namely race, sex, colour, religion, political opinion, national extraction and social origin. The Committee welcomes the additional grounds of discrimination, as foreseen in Article 1(1)(b) of the Convention, that appear to be included in the Employment Rights Bill, and asks the Government for information on the status of the process for the adoption of the Bill.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.