Port of Spain (ILO news) - Ministers of Labour and other high-level representatives of the Ministries of Labour, and of employers’ and workers’ organizations of the English-and Dutch-speaking Caribbean will meet at an International Labour Organization (ILO)Tripartite Caribbean Conference to discuss on the global financial crisis on 1-2 April 2009 in Kingston, Jamaica.
Hosted by the ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Jamaica, the Caribbean Congress of Labour and the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation, the ILO Tripartite Caribbean Conference will be held at the Jamaica Pegasus, Kingston, Jamaica.
The Hon. Bruce Golding, M.P. Prime Minister of Jamaica is expected to deliver the feature address at the opening ceremony on Wednesday 1 April 2009.
The Conference aims to provide a forum for the exchange of views and information and to explore practical measures for overcoming the social and labour consequences of the global financial crisis, through tripartite consultations and negotiations.
The theme of the conference is "Promoting Human Prosperity beyond the Global Financial Crisis: Seeking Sustainable Solutions through Social Dialogue".
Already the effects of the global financial crisis are evident in the Caribbean region. Economic activity has slowed down, and not only in the finance sector. The loss of revenues due to a decline in demand for tourism and related services, falling demand for core export products, and lack of access to credit, has already led to closing or reduction of operations in many workplaces, leading to job losses and reduced family income.
This tripartite conference marks an attempt by the ILO to urge governments to join forces with employers’ and workers’ organizations in promoting tripartism and social dialogue for dealing with the crisis. Improved communication between government and the social partners is crucial for adopting reforms that can work, especially reforms of social protection or labour market policies, privatization, or the adoption of investment incentives. In the Caribbean there are countries and territories that are already strengthening social dialogue with a view to countering the effects and eventually resolving the ongoing crisis.
The discussions at the tripartite conference will be supported by distinguished experts who have been working closely on the crisis, including representatives of regional and international organizations, such as CARICOM, the University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the World Bank, and the ILO, Labour and Finance Ministries, and employers' and workers' organizations.
The conference comes at a time when the ILO is commemorating its 90th anniversary. Built from the ashes of World War I, the ILO's core message of social justice as the only way to peace and prosperity takes on greater resonance as the world is facing the greatest crisis since the end of World War II.
For further information on the ILO Tripartite Caribbean Conference, please contact the ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean at +868 627-6304, Fax or ilocarib@ilocarib.org.tt
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