Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2004, published 93rd ILC session (2005)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Barbados (Ratification: 1967)

The Committee takes note of the Government’s report.

1. In its previous comments, the Committee had noted that according to the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC), trade unions which represent more than 50 per cent of workers in a bargaining unit may be granted recognition and had requested the Government to provide information on the collective bargaining process that applies where a trade union represents less than 50 per cent of workers in a bargaining unit. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that where a recognition survey reveals that union membership is less than 50 per cent in a unit, recognition is usually left to the discretion of the employer in accordance with the voluntaristic industrial relations system of Barbados. The Committee takes note of this information.

2. Concerning its previous request for information on the issue of redress for victims of anti-union discrimination, the Committee notes that the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados considers in its comments on the Government’s report that the Trade Union Act could be strengthened to give added protection to persons who join or contemplate joining a trade union, in particular, by introducing provisions imposing sanctions on an employer who discriminates against a worker on the basis of his/her trade union activities. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report the legislative provisions which provide workers with protection against acts of anti-union discrimination including the applicable sanctions, and any relevant information on the practical application of these provisions.