Media Advisory: CARIFORUM access for Caribbean employers’ and workers’ groups

Caribbean employers’ and workers’ representatives to share their views, experiences and aspirations on social and economic policy development

News | 14 August 2015
Port of Spain (ILO News) – Over the next two weeks, representatives from employers’ and workers’ organizations in Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, and Bahamas will have the opportunity to share their views, experiences and aspirations on social and economic policy development, during a series of National Bipartite Workshops.
  1. Haiti: 18 August - NH Haiti El Rancho, Rue Jose Marti #5, Petion-Ville, Port-au-Prince
  2. Jamaica: 20 August - The Jamaica Employers' Federation, 2A Ruthven Road, Kingston 10.
  3. Belize: 24 August - Radisson Ft. George Hotel and Marina, #2 Marine Parade, Belize City
  4. The Bahamas: 26 August - Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union, Farrington Road, Nassau

The Workshops, facilitated by the ILO in collaboration with the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) and the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL), are part of a series of national bipartite workshops for CARIFORUM member States, under a three-year Project1 funded by the European Union (EU). The Project seeks to build capacity within the Caribbean regional workers’ and employers’ organizations, so that they can participate effectively in regional policy development and integration processes and thus fulfil their obligations under the Social Aspects Chapter of the Economic Partnership Agreement.

David Massiah, President, CCL, is expected to attend all four workshops to incorporate national concerns and raise them at the regional level. Wayne Chen, President, CEC will attend the workshops in Haiti and Jamaica. Raymond Eytle, Director, CEC will attend the workshops in Belize and Bahamas.

"The Caribbean Employers' Confederation welcomes this opportunity to further social dialogue as we believe this to be a powerful tool for enhancing the sustainability of business, creating decent jobs, and thereby contributing positively to national and regional development." says Wayne Chen, President, CEC.

The bipartite meetings represent the first in a series of national activities to be undertaken in each of the 15 countries which are members of CARIFORUM. Similar workshops have already taken place in July 2015 in Saint Lucia; Grenada; Dominica; Antigua and Barbuda; and Saint Kitts and Nevis. Future workshops are planned for Barbados; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Guyana; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; and the Dominican Republic.

Contacts - for further information and to request interviews:

Dawn Lafond | lafond@ilo.org | +1 (868) 623 7178/ 7704 ext 412 |
Averlon Toussaint | toussaint@ilo.org | +1 (868) 623 7178/ 7704 ext 411 | 

1 The Project funded by the European Union is entitled: “Challenges to CARIFORUM Labour, Private Sector and Employers to fulfil their Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Obligations: Caribbean Employers’ Confederation and the Caribbean Congress of Labour Component of the Support to Facilitate Participation of CARIFORUM Civil Society in Regional Development and Integration Process.”