Labour Tribunal Visits Employment and Labour Relations Tribunal in Bermuda  

April 8th, 2024 – A three-member delegation from the Turks & Caicos Islands Labour Tribunal made a six-day visit to the Employment and Labour Relations Tribunal, Bermuda. The delegation included the Labour Tribunal Secretary, Mrs. Lucille Campbell, Tribunal Administrative Officer, Mrs. Winifred Stubbs and Tribunal Officer, Ms. Alice Williams. This visit was organized by President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Labour Tribunal, Mrs. Doreen Quelch Missick.

The objective of the week-long visit was for staff of the Turks and Caicos Labour Tribunal to collaborate with their counterparts in Bermuda and observe the operations of the Employment and Labour Relations Tribunal.  They were privileged to meet the Cabinet Minister responsible for Economy and Labour, the Hon. Jason Hayward; the Chairman of Employment and Labour Relations Tribunal, Mr. Edward Ball; the Acting Director of Labour Relations, Mrs. Gabrielle Cann; the Human Rights Commission Chairman, Mrs. Lisa Reed along with two of the HR Commission members, Ms. Elaine Butterfield and Legal Adviser, Mr. Mapp; Labour Relations Officers and Investigators of the Labour Relations Department; other Chairpersons and the Director and members of the Workforce Development Department.

The delegation not only engaged in discussions on the Bermuda Employment Act 2000 and the Employment Amendment Act 2021 but were able to share comparisons to the Turks & Caicos Islands Employment Ordinance 2004, amended 2018. These pieces of legislation govern the operations and procedures of the Labour Tribunals.

It was very enlightening and educational for the TCI Labour Tribunal staff to observe various hearings – a Non-compliance Hearing; Directions Hearing and a Substantive Hearing which were presided over by different Chairman and Arbitrators; after which a debriefing of each Hearing was held to include the Chairman, the Tribunal panel and the three-member delegation.

There were some shared similarities of the processes and operations between the two Islands Tribunals. The overall visit was not only beneficial but also very rewarding for the delegation as the experiences and information shared could help both Tribunals.

Honourable Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Immigration & Border Services also responsible for Labour Tribunal, supported the outreach efforts of the Labour Tribunal. He encourages the ongoing dialogue with our sister UK Territory. As we all work together to provide equity and fairness to users of the Labour Tribunal.