Labour laws must be adhered to

Whoever comes into Barbados to work, whether it be migrants, or foreign companies, the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development is committed to ensuring that the labour laws of Barbados are followed.
These remarks came from Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Sen. Dr. the Honourable Esther Byer-Suckoo, during a committee meeting which was held at the Ministry recently.

Byer-Suckoo revealed that they recently compiled a list of regulations and policies to form a migrant labour policy, where they gathered the information to form one convenient document, which helps persons that come to the island to work understand the benefits they are entitled to and what conditions they can expect.

She expressed that sometimes the conditions of migrant workers often goes under the radar, but they have made it quite clear that all “workers in this country are going to be protected by the same law”.

She explained that sometimes there are worksites that are managed by locals and foreign companies, and there is a concern as to what goes on behind closed doors in regards to the kind of treatment the workers receive.

Byer-Suckoo revealed that the ministry of labour has banded together with the immigration, police and health officers to look at ways to use their resources to ensure that authorities can check to see if the conditions in which migrant workers are working in are appropriate, even if the establishment is not a local establishment.

She noted that some persons were initially against this decision, as they found it was best to leave the foreign agencies alone, as they are bringing in much needed foreign exchange for Barbados. However, Byer-Suckoo highlighted that the amount of money that was being brought into the country was a minuscule issue when compared to the way persons were being treated in the work environment.

“Anybody coming into this country to do any business has to abide by our laws, regardless of whatever amount of money you are bringing in,” she concluded.