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Theme: Achieving human and social development through policy coherence: the role of Ministries of Labour in facilitating a decent work agenda |
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It is my pleasure to join in welcoming you all today to this Nineteenth Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD). I am particularly pleased at the sustained partnership between the Caribbean Community and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which is holding its 7th Meeting of Caribbean Ministers of Labour in conjunction with this meeting of COHSOD. This immediately illustrates functional cooperation and the creative management of overlapping agendas which could only help to advance regional programmes and priorities in an effective and efficient manner for the benefit of our member states and indeed for the peoples of the Region.
This Meeting is certainly taking place at a time when the Region, indeed the entire world, is preoccupied with strategies aimed at recuperation from a financial and economic crisis that is as far reaching in its economic impact as it is punitive in its effect; particularly from the perspective of employment and the labour market. The persistent high rates of unemployment maintained by the slow rates of job creation in most countries, the downturn in the services sector, particularly the tourism industry in most Caribbean countries, continue to impact negatively on the economies of our Region. This crisis has created a level of uncertainty that will test the mettle of the Labour leaders, of Government Ministers and Ministries as well as the creativity of employers and employees alike. It highlights more than ever, the value and virtues of developing, and in some cases, consolidating social partnerships among Government, employers, labour unions and others in civil society. Under these circumstances, the theme of this joint CARICOM/ILO Council — Achieving human and social development through policy coherence: the role of Ministries of Labour in facilitating a decent work agenda – is most appropriate. When the ‘decent work’ agenda was enunciated about a decade ago, there was the underlying vision of what can be called “a revolution in rising entitlements” in the workplace. Today it is more likely to be translated as “survival” of and in the workplace. Nowhere is this situation more evident than in the results of the Report of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development presented at the Summit of Heads of Government in Suriname in January 2010. The staggering levels of unemployment among youth; as high as 50 percent in some instances, have to be a major cause of concern. I therefore greatly appreciate that ‘Youth and the Labour Force’ is a topic on the Agenda of this Council’s meeting Policy coherence in human and social development no doubt makes it imperative for labour to be mainstreamed into the social and economic strategies of the region. Among other things, this means designing curricula in schools and in the training institutions at all levels, geared to the production of the skills for a competitive market place. It also means establishing a vision of the parameters of growth and development that are directly linked to the human resource requirements as a main prerequisite of development. But these cannot be achieved without a concerted effort to harness sustainable public-private partnerships, strengthen institutional capabilities and create the enabling environment for human resource development. The Caribbean Community is conscious that “labour’ must be a serious component in any plan for the future sustainability of this Region. Both in the Towards a Single Development Vision Report (2008) and the draft Plan for Economic Development of the Caribbean Community (2010), labour plays a central role in the process of transition from the CARICOM Single Market inaugurated in 2006 to the CARICOM Single Economy targeted to be implemented by 2015. Turning more particularly to your agenda, I am pleased to note that this COHSOD will focus on carrying forward the work initiated at the Sixth Meeting of Caribbean Labour Ministers in 2007. The role of labour ministries in advancing human development in CARICOM countries is well acknowledged. This augurs well for the link between labour and development and is consonant with one of the major and politically most sensitive elements of the CSME, namely the free movement of labour. Contrary to a view that holds some sway, valuable strides have been made in facilitating the free movement of CARICOM nationals to facilitate their travel and to undertake economic activity within the Community. Let me elaborate a little bit on this issue. Sustaining economic activities in the CARICOM Single Market requires:
The conditions for the acquisition of skills certificates have been established and are being applied. A number of wage-earning categories have been approved by the Conference of Heads of Government as eligible for free movement. These include: graduates and others with equivalent qualifications, artistes, musicians, media workers, sportspersons, teachers, nurses, holders of associate degrees and equivalent qualifications, artisans who have received the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) and household domestics with the CVQ or its equivalent. The available data on the free movement to be presented at this COHSOD indicate that over 6,000 skills certificates have been issued between 2006 and 2008. The figure is likely to be much higher for the period up to 2010, taking into account that the number of categories has been added to the original grouping. Also when the issue of contingent rights is settled, and we hope that will not be long, the number of persons gaining free access is likely to increase significantly. Admittedly, there is much more to be done to accelerate the implementation of free movement. The process of free movement is related to specific actions by CARICOM Member States. There is also the need to speed up the process for granting skills certificates, and to comply more readily with the requirements for approving or accepting them. Ladies and gentlemen, as Secretary-General I have a special pleasure in acknowledging the substantial results of the special partnership between the ILO and the Caribbean Community Secretariat. Those results span developments in the areas of Model Labour Legislation, Termination Of Employment; Registration, Status and Recognition of Trade Unions and of Employers’ Organizations; Equality of Opportunity and Non-Discrimination in Employment; Occupational Safety, Health and the Work Environment. When these provisions are enacted by Member States the viability of the work environment would be greatly enhanced and we would be much closer to achieving a ‘decent work’ agenda. In this regard, it would be remiss of me not to mention the work of the Caribbean Tripartite Council comprising the Caribbean Congress of Labour, Caribbean Employers’ Confederation and the PANCAP Coordinating Unit with technical support from ILO; funding from the PANCAP Global Fund Grant, and the PANCAP World Bank Grant. This collaborative venture has resulted in a Model Caribbean Workplace Policy in HIV and AIDS, completed in 2007 and implemented between 2008-2009 in some 256 establishments in the OECS countries, Belize, Guyana and Suriname. I am therefore very pleased that representatives of both Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) and Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) are with us today and wish to express my appreciation for their efforts and their commitment to the process of Regional Integration. Before closing, let me implore you once more to address the matter of Haiti with all the seriousness it deserves. This Region has not experienced, at least in recent times, such massive devastation wreaked by natural disaster on any of our Member States. In response, the appointment by CARICOM of The Most Hon P.J Patterson as the CARICOM Advocate for Haiti – and indeed who heads for Haiti tomorrow – and the financial contributions and technical assistance provided to Haiti, are clear signals that the Community is determined to play a pivotal role in Haiti’s reconstruction. Our CARICOM Special Unit for Haiti, established under the direction of Ambassador Colin Granderson, Assistant Secretary General, Foreign and Community Relations, is eager to receive any pledge that you are prepared to make. At a minimum, this joint Council may wish to answer the plea for special skills required in the reconstruction of Haiti. Haiti needs all the help we can provide and we cannot afford to be found wanting. CARICOM would warmly welcome your contributions. It’s not enough just to be sorry.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you a very stimulating and productive joint meeting and look forward to the guidance which flows therefrom to the Community. |
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