Better Work Haiti provides new tools to build workers’ knowledge of national labour law and international labour standards.

22 October 2018.

Port-au-Prince – In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST), Better Work Haiti (BWH) has created a series of eighteen audio messages, in Creole, to illustrate labour law and standards in the garment industry.  The tools, developed to inform and educate garment workers and the public in general on issues relevant to the workplace, are due to be broadcast within factories through in-house audio systems and will soon be broadcast on local radio.  They will also be distributed  directly with BWH’s partners, used in training activities and be accessible on the website of Better Work Haiti.

The broadcasts explain the industrial relations roles of managers, workers and unions, their rights and responsibilities in the workplace and the practices that promote good working conditions and are at the root of mature industrial relations, support stability and are beneficial for the Haitian economy.

Comprising of actors portraying common scenes in Haitian industry workplaces, the recordings canvas issues such as complaints handling mechanisms, preventing sexual harassment and the rights and responsibility of employers. The mini-plays use five imaginary characters to represent the main actors in the daily life of the textile sector, including a Ministry of Labour Inspector (Inspector Antoine), a director of Human Resources, a factory manager (Madame Jakline), a line supervisor (Occilien Supervisor) and workers Cécile and Ronald.

Haiti’s clothing sector employs around 50,000 people. It is crucial to contribute to the education of workers to raise awareness of national and international legal requirements, and their rights and duties, in order to be able to protect themselves and act in accordance with the law. This increased understanding will have the effect of helping workers associations to organize better and potentially reduce workplace conflict. Better Work Haiti is confident that distributing information in this way will help reach a greater audience.

Trade unions, employers and other partners have warmly welcomed this approach and are already providing support to help spread these tools through their internal communication networks (including their WhatsApp and Facebook groups) as these messages will also effectively contribute to training of their members.

“We look forward to such tools and congratulate BWH for this initiative. These tools will contribute to our effort to educate our members. Since many workers have a smartphone, the messages will soon reach them via our WhatsApp networks,” said Osé Pierre of the Haitian branch of the Solidarity Center, a body that promotes international labour rights.

These audio messages, in Creole,  cover essential labour relations issues.  In them, you will meet

• A MAST Inspector (Inspector Antoine),
• A director of Human Resources.
• A factory manager  (Madame Jakline),
• a line supervisor (Occilien Supervisor),
• two (2) workers of both sexes (Cécile and Ronald).

The audio recordings can be found here:  Audio resources for Better Work Haiti .

The recordings are part of a suite of communications tools produced by BWH, intended to provide constituents with all useful information to help them understand and effectively promote a stable and prosperous textile industry.  Others include:

• The Practical Guide to the Haitian Labor Code in 5 languages and mobile application;
• Brochures and Posters on different labor-related topics (see more below);
• Videos on the role of Bipartite Committees inside factories, the prevention of sexual harassment, etc …
• Brochure and poster on Labor Inspection
• Brochure and poster on Forced Labor
• Brochure and poster on Safety and Health

Other resources:

• Poster on Audio resources
• Leaflet on audio resources

ONA : Office National d’Assurance-Vieillesse

OFATMA: Office d’Assurance Accidents du Travail, Maladie et Maternité