On Tuesday, 23 November 2021, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. Jason P Hayward, JP MP, attended the International Labour Organization (the “ILO”) Caribbean Labour Minister’s Meeting in preparation for the second part of the 109th Session of the International Labour Conference (the “ILC”), which is taking place from 25 November to 11 December 2021.
The Caribbean Labour Minister’s Meeting was chaired by Mr Dennis Zulu, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean. The meeting brought together Ministers of Labour, Permanent Secretaries, labour commissioners and other senior government representatives from 11 member States and eight non-metropolitan territories. The Ministers discussed the main outcomes of the 343rd Session of the ILO Governing Body and the Reports presented to the ILO for the second part of this year’s ILC; (i)Inequalities and the world of work and (ii) Shaping skills and lifelong learning for the future of work.
Inequalities and skills for lifelong learning will be the key discussions during the second part of this year’s ILC. Mr Patrick Belser, ILO Senior Economist, shared key findings from the ILC Report IV: Inequalities and the World of Work, including developments emerging from the COVID-19 crisis, as well as possible solutions for reducing inequalities. Mr Srinivas Reddy, Branch Chief, Skills and Employability Branch, the discussed ILC Report VI: Shaping skills and lifelong learning for the future of work, which included skills anticipation, matching and reshaping.
The presentation of the report entitled, Inequalities and the world of work covered why inequality matters, the different forms of inequality, the unequal distribution of work and labour income, informality as a major source of inequality and providing a way forward through shared growth.
The Ministers’ discussed the global gender pay gap, which is notably the most pervasive form of inequality in the workplace, to advancing gender workplace equality, and reducing overall inequality post-Covid 19. Also discussed and of international importance to Caribbean territories are the losses in the banana export industry to multinational corporations.
The presentation of the report entitled Shaping skills and lifelong learning for the future of work included:
·the key challenges and opportunities for skills and lifelong learning in an ever-changing workplace, further impacted by the current pandemic;
·the roles and responsibilities of governments and social partners for realizing the transformative potential of skills;
·offering lifelong learning, training and education for all; and,
·introducing skill systems to reduce skills mismatches, underutilization, and gender segregation.
The Ministers discussions included the territories’ need to reskill and upskill their labour force in the wake of the pandemic so that the labour force is ready for the world of work for tomorrow.
On 26 November 2021, the Hon Jason P Hayward discussed in the House of Assembly the role and functions of the Labour Advisory Council (the “LAC”) and the work that the LAC will undertake in 2022. One of the LAC’s agenda items includes the review and consider the Report entitled Inequalities and the world of work.
The Minister noted that the LAC would consider this Report as it relates to Bermuda and will address the following:
·the economic and social implications of inequality in the workplace;
·the main drivers of inequality inside and outside of the labour market;
·what effective gender-responsive policies and measures should be introduced to reduce inequality and promote productivity and growth; and
·effective policy solutions to reduce inequality, promote inclusive growth and sustainable development, and recover from the pandemic.