Health
Barbados to Introduce Minimum Pay Standards in Hospitality Accommodation Sector, Minister of Labour Announces
New minimum pay standards for hospitality workers in Barbados soon to be established by Minister of Labour, Colin Jordan. Paid paternity leave and support for breastfeeding mothers also under consideration.
2 min read
Originally published by barbadostoday.bb (opens in new tab)
Minimum standards of pay for workers in the hospitality accommodation industry will soon be introduced.
This announcement was made by Minister of Labour, Colin Jordan, during Tuesday’s debate in the Lower House where discussions resumed on the Barbados Population Policy 2023.
Jordan said: “The Chief Labour Officer has advised that she has completed her consultations and very soon I will return to this Honourable Chamber to establish minimum rates of pay and conditions of work for those who are employed in the tourism accommodation sector. This will be done pursuant to a bill that is now an act that we passed in this chamber – Labour Clauses Concessions Act,” he explained.
The Act made provisions for the revocation of concessions to businesses which failed to comply with standards set out in the legislation.
Jordan also noted that paid paternity leave may soon also become a reality.
“We are still exploring the possibility of paid paternity leave. We’ve had a number of meetings and we are getting close to being able to come back to Cabinet, because Cabinet has agreed in principle, pending studies from the actuary and others. There must be a quality of child rearing that takes place in Barbados and for that to happen fathers must be involved. You can’t just be involved in bringing the sperm and the egg together.”
The minister said that the government was willing to make a case for provisions to be made by workplaces for mothers who breastfeed their children.
“They must be able, for example, to express their milk and store it so that they can feed their children. Research has shown that children who are breastfed are better socialised and have lower rates of disease further in life.”
The Barbados Population Policy 2023 is in response to the draft policy prepared by the Barbados Population Commission which highlights a number of issues leading to Barbados’ low population growth over the last several decades. It outlines steps to address the negative growth which could have a severe impact on the local economy.
(SB)
