The Bahamas charts a new course for safer workplaces
Tripartite partners and the ILO join forces to strengthen legal protections for workers.
23 May 2025
NASSAU, The Bahamas (ILO News) - The Government of The Bahamas, in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), hosted the National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Symposium on 20-21 May 2025, at the National Training Agency. Under the theme “Developing and maintaining a safe workplace,” the event brought together nearly 100 participants including Government, employers, trade unions, NGOs, professional association, and regional stakeholders to review national OSH gaps in law and practice, and chart a path toward stronger legal protections in line with relevant international labour standards, namely the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) and the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187). The desirability of ratification of these Conventions has been considered by the National Tripartite Council (NTC) of The Bahamas, and wider stakeholders were invited to this Symposium to consider the matter.
The Symposium, a collaborative effort led by the Ministry of Labour and Public Service, tackled urgent needs head-on. In her opening remarks, Minister of Labour and Public Service, the Honourable Pia Glover-Rolle, emphasized the critical need for legal reform and modern protections: “There can be no decent work without comprehensive legal protections for worker health and safety. And while we have established foundational frameworks, we recognise the need for more sophisticated protective mechanisms. As revealed by the Department of Labour’s gap analysis last year, there exists a pressing need for more detailed and comprehensive OSH policy frameworks. Our existing Health and Safety at Work and Employment Acts, while serving as important starting points, have proven insufficient in addressing the complexities of contemporary workplace environments.”
The Symposium focused on the following strategic outcomes:'
- Validating the findings of the gap analysis on ILO Conventions Nos. 155 and 187, fundamental international instruments for occupational safety and health.
- Exploring the ratification of the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183).
The ILO delivered key presentations on the critical role of a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work. Mr. Shingo Miyake, Labour Law and International Labour Standards Specialist, ILO Caribbean Office as well as Ms. Erica Martin, Legal Standards Specialist, and Ms. Aikaterini Charara, Legal Officer, both from ILO Headquarters in Geneva, provided strategic guidance on aligning national legislation with Conventions C155, C187, and C183. Mr. Miyake introduced the participants to the ILO and international labour standards. Ms. Martin and Ms. Charara then discussed how The Bahamas could strengthen its OSH legislation in line with Conventions Nos. 155 and 187 by addressing legislative, administrative and organizational gaps identified in the gap analysis.
The participants then discussed how the gaps can be addressed in groups formed around three subject areas: policies and programmes; institutions and mechanisms; and laws and regulations. These discussions identified necessary action to strengthen The Bahama's laws, policies and institutions in accordance with the two ILO Conventions. After the group discussion, the participants, in a joint declaration, validated the gap analysis, endorsed the ratification of Conventions Nos. 155 and 187, and requested the Government to follow up. Mr. Robert Farquharson, Director of the Ministry’s Special Projects Unit, announced the goal of passing new OSH legislation by December 2025, emphasizing that preventing workplace accidents is a national priority.
The Symposium also discussed the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183), whose ratification is under consideration. ILO Specialists from the headquarters in Geneva, Ms. Svetlana Mandzhieva, Legal/labour Law Officer, together with Mr. Luis Carlos Melero Garcia, Legal Specialist, provided an overview of the Convention. Ms. Lorena Pastor Palacios, ILO Economist and Care Policies Technical Officer, drew a global picture on care economy, citing data on The Bahamas as well as other countries.
This initiative supports The Bahamas’ Decent Work Country Programme and its goal of ratifying fundamental ILO Conventions. The Symposium and forthcoming legislation represent a determined step toward building a future of work in The Bahamas that is safe, healthy, and decent for all.