A Study on Working Conditions for Persons with Disabilities has Been Announced

The International Labour Organization has announced a study on working conditions for persons with disabilities in Montserrat.

The study is being spearheaded by the Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean in Port of Spain, which has launched a call for the Expression of Interest for a consultancy.

The exercise will support follow-up actions in Montserrat on Trade Union Actions to Promote Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities.

According to the ILO, discrimination, remains a persistent and pervasive dimension and a contributor to inequalities in the world of work.

It maintains that it manifests in a lack of career and job opportunities in the labour market, especially for women, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations, unequal pay for work of equal value, and inaccessibility to social protection.

It says discrimination and inequalities in the world of work constitutes the greatest threats to decent work, the undermining of women’s dignity, autonomy,and independence and can cause significant human, social and economic cost regardless of occupation, position, or sector.

The 109th session of the International Labour Conference adopted two sets of conclusions and reports, one which focused on “Inequalities and the world of work.”

The strategy on inequalities and the world of work is intended to assist ILO member States including Montserrat to accelerate action to reduce and prevent inequalities in the world of work and ensure that no one is left behind.

In 2021 Montserrat Civil Service Association requested the ILO’s support in dealing with two cases of discrimination of persons with disabilities.

The ILO says this request was supported by the Public Services International in the Caribbean and resulted in a series of consultations that took place.

Hence,it is in this context that the ILO will undertake a series of interventions to assist trade unions’ actions on decent work for Persons With Disabilities s in Montserrat.