Labour ministers and regional officials from across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Wednesday underscored the urgent need for coordinated action to address persistent labour market challenges affecting the Caribbean, including labour migration pressures, weak job creation, informality, and skills mismatches.
The issues were highlighted by Keoma Griffith, Guyana’s Minister of Labour and Chair of the Fifty-First Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Labour.
Delivering remarks during the meeting on May 6, Minister Griffith said the matters before the Council were “both timely and strategic,” pointing to governance gaps, labour migration challenges, high levels of informal employment, and weak employment generation across the region.
Discussions also focused on the evolving international labour agenda ahead of the 114th International Labour Conference scheduled for next month in Geneva.
The Caribbean Community, commonly known as CARICOM, was founded in 1973 through the Treaty of Chaguaramas to promote economic integration, foreign policy coordination, functional cooperation, and improved living standards among Caribbean states.
The founding leaders who signed the treaty were Prime Minister Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Prime Minister Errol Barrow of Barbados, Prime Minister Michael Manley of Jamaica, and Prime Minister Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago. These leaders are widely regarded as the founding fathers of CARICOM.
Minister Griffith also referenced recommendations emerging from a Meeting of Officials held on April 23, 2026, which focused on strengthening labour migration governance, coordinating CARICOM positions ahead of engagements with the International Labour Organization (ILO), and deepening engagement with social partners.
The meeting received support from Wayne McCook, Assistant Secretary-General for the CARICOM Single Market and Trade (CSMT), along with his team from the CARICOM Secretariat.
Regional ministers and labour officials also reviewed progress on the CARICOM Labour Migration Policy Framework and Action Plan and discussed preparations for issues expected to arise at the upcoming International Labour Conference and the ILO Governing Body meeting in Barbados.
Participants further examined new analytical findings from the ILO on job-rich economic growth and labour formalisation, while also considering perspectives from employers on strengthening regional competitiveness and supporting sustainable enterprise development.
The Fifty-First CARICOM COHSOD – Labour concluded with renewed commitments to advancing evidence-based labour policies, strengthening labour governance systems, enhancing regional labour mobility, and supporting sustainable economic growth throughout the Caribbean Community.
According to Article 17 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) is responsible for promoting coordinated policies and programmes aimed at improving the living and working conditions of workers and fostering harmonious labour and industrial relations across the Community.
