ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
Inter-American Council for Integral Development
(CIDI)
XIV INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
OF MINISTERS OF LABOR
September 26-27, 2005
Mexico City, Mexico
OEA/Ser.K/XII.14.1
TRABAJO/INF.10/05
26 September 2005
Original: English
PRESENTATION BY THE HON. RAWLE C. EASTMOND, J.P., M.P.,
MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY OF BARBADOS
PRESENTATION BY THE HON. RAWLE C. EASTMOND, J.P., M.P.,
MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY OF BARBADOS
The processes of globalization and change have impacted significantly on both developed
and developing countries. They have impacted on economies, economic sectors, enterprises, workers
and employers, social groups, families and individuals. They have already altered and will continue
to significantly alter ways of conducting business. It is indisputable, however, that there is a gaping
and expanding divide between developed and developing nations. There is no equality in their
contributions to the process, in their respective capacities to absorb the impact of rapid changes in
technology and trading practices, or in their ability to adjust to the inevitable changes in ways which
are appropriate for either attaining or maintaining sustainable development.
The uniform global policies developed and promoted by developed nations do not, and will
not, in all the existing circumstances, create a marketplace where all compete on equal terms. They
have the unfortunate potential to create greater wealth for the rich and greater impoverishment of the
poor. Without an equal and counterbalancing emphasis on a fair globalization, such policies could
create and indeed perpetuate a climate in which the small and less developed become casualties of
their larger, more developed competitors.
A fair globalization would fully embrace the social as well as the economic, as conceived by
the World Commission on the Social Dimensions0 of Globalization. This commission, was
established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to address challenges facing our world
and, to identify the path towards a world which is safer, fair, ethical, inclusive and prosperous for the
majority, both within and between countries. That path, it was agreed, must be based on universally
shared values, respect for human rights and individual dignity, and must, of necessity provide
opportunities as well as tangible benefits for all.
As a micro-state in the world community of states, Barbados recognizes that global
developments will not necessarily be sensitive to local concerns. We recognize that the process
presents serious and wide ranging challenges and demands new and innovative change.
The topic at hand – People and Their Work at the Heart of Economies – State Policies and
Globalization – evokes the notion that people are, or should be, at the core of mechanisms that drive
countries’ economic activity. More than this, it conjures up the image of a deep connection between
people and their work – the idea that work and people complement and add meaning to each other.
The topic suggests that a synergistic and mutually beneficial relationship exists between people and
work. It challenges the imagination to explore the question and to identify the kinds and
combinations of state policies which may be employed in pursuit of that desired synthesis; not for
some, but for all people.
The character and content of each state’s policies can impact either positively or negatively
on its people and their work. States’ policies can also promote and sustain the required synthesis
between people and their work. Whether that impact is positive or negative will depend on the
state’s interpretation of globalization, by its perceptions regarding the desirability of participating in
the process and by the states’ social, political and economic interests.
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The concept of an all-embracing and over-regulated state has been discredited, but there is no
disputing the fact that the state owes a duty to its citizens to facilitate their development. Barbados’
Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur at the Dialogue of Caribbean States, rightly asserted that
“we cannot leave people-focused development to the serendipity of the market”. In the current
economic climate, balanced structural policies which embrace economic and social goals in the
pursuit of development are essential for fostering and sustaining growth and development.
These polices must be based on a new social contract, which embraces social as well as
economic goals, and which utilizes social dialogue as a means towards achieving cohesive and
sustained development. The contract must engage all persons in a symbiotic relationship,
irrespective of their age, class, ethnicity, economic standing, race or any other characteristics which
differentiate individuals and classes. That contract must also ensure that both the formal and
informal sectors contribute meaningfully to a dynamic labour market and that a climate is created
which facilitates individual empowerment, sustained growth and development. In essence, the
contract must be beneficial to employer and employee, and to individual and enterprise. It must
contribute to the building of productive, prosperous and peaceful nations, where mutually satisfying
goals are pursued, where economies and businesses flourish and where individuals are guaranteed
decent work and social justice.
Barbados, faced with the challenges of competing in a globalized world while continuing on
an upward path of development, is seeking to address its social and economic needs through a blend
of traditionally proven and modern ways. We are strengthening our human resource base, through
education and training, the application of information technology and youth development. Funding
for entrepreneurial and business development and the exploration of niche markets are being utilized.
Through labour reform we are also seeking to entrench international labour standards in local law
and practice, to develop mechanisms for promoting decent work and to produce and analyse labour
market data in order to facilitate long term strategic planning for the labour market.
For decades, our human resources policy has focused on education as a tool for development,
with compulsory universal education for children aged 5 to 16 and access to government funded
tertiary education where persons are qualified for enrollment. Technical and vocational education
and training and the application of information technology for teaching, learning and research
throughout the school system, are also being employed as engines towards growth and development.
Education and labour policies are also being geared towards the practical match of business needs
with education and training opportunities.
Barbados has established a Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) as a mechanism for
developing entrepreneurship and for sharpening entrepreneurial skills and capabilities. The YES
slogan, “From Idea to Enterprise” aptly expresses the programme objective of equipping
entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs with skills for conducting successful businesses. Small
businesses are afforded access to soft financing through special programmes devised for the purpose,
for example, the Rural Enterprise Fund and Fund Access. We anticipate that evolving from these
processes of incubation and support, individuals will be empowered and their businesses will be able
to wean themselves into strong vibrant enterprises which are integral to the process of national
economic development. Other groups already marginalized by globalization and trade liberalization
will require assimilation or re-assimilation into mainstream economic activities.
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For Barbados and the Caribbean, generations of concessionary trading arrangements
resulting from mutual economic interests are being dismantled, disrupting economies and jobs. The
casualties include sugar in Barbados and bananas in other eastern Caribbean states. For us, the major
economic challenges presented include, the need to balance the liberalization process and the
increasing demand by employers for greater flexibility and fewer restrictions in the job market,
against the employees’ fundamental rights at work.
There is also the need for national development of alternative uses for traditional products as
well as unique specialty products with the potential for adding significant value.
Other countries will experience comparable difficulties and demands for change which
threaten their normal way of life.
Job creation and retraining can help to ensure that people and their work are at the heart of
economies. Juan Somavia, Director General of the ILO, in his address to the 93 rd session of the
International Labour Conference in June 2005, spoke of “the global job crisis”, which he perceived to
be a creation of globalization, characterized by major business success and increases in GDP but
disproportionately low levels of job creation. His view was that the job crisis requires the
commitment of member states to “repair and rebalance priorities” by “moving employment and
decent work into the mainstream of the international development debate”.
National commitment is undoubtedly integral to international commitment. National
commitment, under globalization, is however in danger of being compromised by a market place
where there is increasing demand for flexibility with minimal regulation of labour standards, limited
social protection, and where purely economic laws of supply and demand operate so that the
developed countries drain scarce human resources and skills from the less developed countries.
In pursuing development which is sensitive to both the economic and social issues, Barbados
is also re-examining its labour law and practice in accordance with established international
standards. A new Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed by the Parliament in 2005 and
others including Employment Rights Legislation will follow soon.
Social dialogue, freedom of association and collective bargaining are alive and well in
Barbados and have guaranteed satisfactory wage levels for the majority. Without some state
regulation new players in the global market could erode these gains where practice in the state last
hosting their businesses eschewed fundamental rights at work.
Social Security protection is generous, and includes coverage for sickness, maternity,
invalidity, funerals, old age contributory pensions, survivors’ benefits and unemployment, among
others. Barbados is also developing a labour market information system and documenting labour
market trends. This data may be used by job seekers, employers, trainers and for strategic planning
purposes. It is expected that it will also inform the type of training and recruitment required for
meeting the market demand for jobs and skills.
In essence, therefore, the ILO’s fundamental principles and rights at work underpin the
labour administration’s existing and proposed policy framework. They recognize the dignity of the
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individual worker and his critical role in employment, economic adjustment, growth and
development. Barbados also recognizes that globalization is a “fait accompli”, that its forces and
processes present various challenges as well as opportunities, and that major adjustments will be
necessary for sustained growth and development in the new market place.
Wherever the appropriate infrastructure and support systems exist, wherever people and their
work are placed at the heart of economies there is social cohesion, and a climate in which
individuals, businesses and indeed nations can potentially thrive and grow. We must all accept the
challenge and capitalize on the opportunities to excel in a new globalised market place where the
social dimension has its rightful place and people and their work are at the heart of economies. I
thank you.
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