Barbados played a leading role in the adoption of a historic international labour standard aimed at improving protections for workers in the digital platform economy.
The new convention was adopted on June 12 during the International Labour Organization’s 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva and is being described as the first binding global employment standard for gig and platform workers.
The agreement establishes international benchmarks on issues such as fair pay, social protection, workplace safety, employment classification and the use of automated systems to manage workers.
Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector, Colin Jordan, chaired the ILO’s Standard-Setting Committee on Decent Work in the Platform Economy, which led negotiations among governments, employers and workers from around the world.
Speaking on the achievement, Jordan said: “Our Committee has made history. For the first time, the ILO’s tripartite constituents had negotiated a Convention specifically addressing the impact of digitalisation in the world of work. The eyes and ears of millions of workers were upon us. We could not disappoint them, and we did not.”
The Barbados delegation included representatives of government, labour and employers, among them Toni Moore, Permanent Secretary Faye Prescod, Deputy Chief Labour Officer Alison Elcock, Randy Clarke, Cheyne Jones and Sheena Mayers-Granville.
Meanwhile, Barbados is set to achieve another milestone in international labour affairs with Matthew Wilson scheduled to serve as Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body for 2026-2027.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, it will be the first time in the ILO’s 107-year history that Barbados, or any country in the wider Caribbean, has chaired the organisation’s executive body.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the developments highlight Barbados’ growing influence in international labour affairs and its contribution to shaping global standards for workers in the digital economy. (PR)
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