Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Minimum Age (Industry) Convention, 1919 (No. 5) - Saint Lucia (Ratification: 1980)

Article 2 of the Convention. Minimum age for admission to work in industrial establishments. The Committee previously noted that a new Labour Code had been adopted in 2006, but had been put on hold for further consultation by the new Government which assumed power in December 2006. The Committee requested the Government to provide a copy of the new Labour Code, when brought into force.

The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the new Labour Code (as amended in 2011) took effect on 1 August 2012. The Committee notes that, pursuant to section 122, the Labour Code provides that a child (defined as a person under 15 years) who is under the minimum school leaving age (also 15 years of age, pursuant to section 27 of the Education Act) may not be employed, with the exception of light work during school holidays.

Part V of the report form. The Committee previously requested the Government to provide information from inspection reports from the Department of Labour. Noting an absence of information on this point in the Government’s report, the Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice, particularly information from labour inspection reports relating to inspection of industrial establishments.

In addition, the Committee notes that the Government has indicated that it is considering the ratification of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138). In this regard, the Committee wishes to draw the Government’s attention to Article 10(5)(a) of Convention No. 138, that states that ratification of Convention No. 138 will result in the denunciation of Convention No. 5. The Committee therefore encourages the Government to consider ratifying Convention No. 138 in the near future.