Barbados: The National Response to the COVID-19 pandemic Claudette - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Barbados: The National Response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Claudette Hope-Greenidge Chief Labour Officer (ag,) Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations April 6, 2020

Overview

This presentation is designed to provide an understanding of Barbados’ response to Preserving and Extending Decent Work as a key pillar in the National Response to the COVID-19 pandemic Status as at April 4, 2020

Ministry of Health and Wellness has disclosed 56 positive cases; I death Significant lay-offs expected as a result of closure of businesses, particularly in the tourism sector

National initiatives to protect employment and business

National initiatives in response to COVID-19

In the context of Barbados, the consequences of COVID-19 are reverberating throughout the all sectors of the economy, with severe negative consequences for labour and employers

Persons in the tourism, construction, distributive trades and related sectors, are now facing disruption to business and employment (e.g. lay- offs or short time, alternative working arrangements, redundancy)

Initiatives at a glance…

NIS Support

GOB has pledged supplemental support for Unemployment Fund to cater to expected large number of claims Unemployment benefits to be provided for six months in the case of full job loss 60% of insurable earnings to be paid in respect of short-time

“Homes for All” Programme

Use of BD $50 million from Housing Credit Fund to unlock BD $200 million from banks to assist 1,00 households to construct and own affordable housing

Initiatives at a glance…

Household Survival Programme

BD $20 million programme to be implemented through three initiatives to assist displaced workers

Welfare Support

Income of at least BD $600 per month to be provided where there is no one employed in a household as a result of the effects of COVID-19 Enhanced support for welfare recipients – 40% increase on normal rates

“Adopt a Family” programme

Government has invited households with an income of more than $100,000 to adopt a vulnerable family to provide support in excess of welfare payments or to contribute to the newly established Adopt a Family Fund

Initiatives at a glance…

Employers: Deferral of NIS contributions

Employers retaining more than 75% of their staff complement will be able to defer employer contributions for the next 3 months , with the possibility for an extension of a further 3 months

Other

Public sector initiatives being matched by private sector relief mechanisms

Financial institutions have agreed to six-month moratorium for payments on existing loans and mortgages for affected persons and businesses Rent deferral/waiver in selected circumstances

The role of the Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations

How we are responding in these times

• f crisis

The Ministry has the specific mandate to liaise with the social partners Continues to facilitate discussions with and among the social partners – the Sub-Committee of the Social Partnership met under the chairmanship of the Minister of Labour to discuss the implications for the actors in the system

• f labour administration

Sub-committee addressed matters including:

The identification of essential service / key workers who are important to continuation of operations Work arrangements and alternative work arrangements (home working / teleworking, hours of operation, staff rotation)

How we are responding in these times

• f crisis

Publication of advisories on key employer and employee rights and responsibilities as provided for by labour legislation (layoff, restructuring, holiday with pay, right to refuse dangerous work) Collaborated with the social partners on the development of protocols (e.g. delivery personnel and curbside operations) Continuation of services to employers and employees and their representatives via homeworking

The use of Social Dialogue and the participation of Tripartite Institutions

Uniting our efforts…

Collaboration among the social partners has been robust. Widescale consultation with representatives of labour, employers, specific private sector interests and government, led to agreements including:

the identification of essential services; adjustments to work arrangements specific to the national predefined response stages to the pandemic; favourable accommodation of employees who have underlying health risks or certain family responsibilities

There is frequent exchange of information and ideas as evidenced by the

• ngoing collaboration among the social partners, in planning and in the

response to matters as they arise

Uniting our efforts….

The governance of the National Insurance Scheme (key pillar in response) is comprised of representatives from government, labour and employers

Facilitates full tripartite consideration of matters related to the adverse impacts of COVID-19

The employers’ representative, the Barbados Employers Confederation (BEC) has developed recommended practices for employers on a range of matters including:

Business continuity planning Managing the crisis

Areas of Challenge and Opportunities

Challenges

COVID-19 presents a suite of unprecedented challenges due to unique circumstances Particular challenges include:

Lack of reach in the informal sector

vulnerabilities perceived limited coverage for unemployment limited human resource capacity to respond to high number requests

Perceived inflexibility of legislation to address some matters ( e.g. holiday with pay, rights on layoff and short-time, right to refuse dangerous work) Balancing the demands presented by the crisis with the pre-existing demands for the delivery of service

Opportunities

Improvements to online/web-based sources of information Determination of extent of non-traditional work-arrangements Consideration of codification of labour legislation and reform Critical examination of in-house systems for labour administration (e.g., inspections, conciliation, handling queries / complaints, communication with the public, OSH) Examination of the appropriateness of current labour laws in the context of the current or similar crisis Collaboration with social partners in the development of training and education programmes