Better Work Haiti
Better Work Haiti was established in June 2009 as a condition of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008 (HOPE II).
HOPE II is a U.S. law that affords preferential treatment in the form of duty-free access for imports of apparel and certain other goods from Haiti into the United States. This legislation aims to promote progress towards a market-based economy, increasing employment, enhancing the rule of law, eliminating barriers to U.S. trade, combating corruption and protecting internationally recognized human and worker rights. For a producer to remain eligible for this preferential treatment, it must comply with “core labour standards” and with the labour laws of Haiti that directly relate to and are consistent with the core labour standards.
In its fourteen years of operations, the programme has made important strides in improving working conditions and industrial relations in Haiti’s garment industry despite the complex operational context.
Strategic Goals
Better Work Haiti’s 2022-2027 strategic phase will work to achieve the following outcomes:
By 2027, compliance with national labour law and international labour standards is sustained in the Haitian garment sector.
By 2027, the Haitian garment sector addresses labour-related issues in line with national labour law and international labour standards
Outcome 3. By 2027, government policies and institutions support the promotion of decent work
Latest news
Haiti’s labour inspectorate tackles challenging topics
The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges, but at the same time, many opportunities have emerged. Such is the case of close collaboration between The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST) and Better Work Haiti, who came together during the pandemic to maintain decent working conditions in the apparel sector. Since 2020, Better Work Haiti …
Haiti’s Labor Roundtable Conference sets priorities for the next phase of development
Better Work Haiti hosts business forum; stakeholders and investors talk challenges facing sector, shared solutions
New pilot prioritizes pregnancy health services
Contribution to Priority Themes
Better Work Haiti’s activities contribute to the priority themes set out in the Better Work Global strategy. These themes crosscut the strategic goals and will be present in our factory engagement, research, policy influencing and content produced as well as affect how we allocate our human and financial resources.
Data and evidence
Better Work Haiti will engage with government agencies on the use of digital technologies to collect structured, centralized data to boost research and the potential of the Haitian garment sector in the global supply chain. By focusing on strengthening and expanding data collection, analysis and dissemination Better Work Haiti will seek to influence decision-making in favour of improved working conditions, including an expanded focus on social protection with data analysis of enterprise social security compliance.
Social dialogue
Through advisory and training services, the programme will ensure that the factory-based bipartite committees have increased technical skills to foster solution-oriented dialogue on recurring labour compliance issues in participating factories. Better Work Haiti will also facilitate constructive, sectoral-level dialogue among constituents and other national actors to take greater responsibility for industry-level challenges, while focusing on sustainability.
Gender equality and inclusion
Better Work Haiti will partner with constituents and other social entities to raise awareness about ILO Convention 190 to end violence and harassment at work as well as foster women’s economic empowerment by promoting career development through skills upgrading and leadership training programme. In line with the Better Work Global programme strategy, Better Work Haiti will work to educate and raise awareness on gender-sensitive topics that aims to increase female workers’ voice, representation and leadership on addressing labour issues in the workplace, and foster a gender-equity enabling environment for women’s participation and advancement in the workplace.
Occupational safety and health (OSH)
In collaboration with ILO technical departments, Better Work Haiti will engage with constituents to build an OSH culture by establishing OSH policies and mechanism of sustainable OSH infrastructure for compliance and improvements. The programme will emphasize collecting comprehensive data to identify challenges and progress on OSH compliance as well as support factories and industries to strengthen their capacity and management systems sustainably via risk-based assessment and preventive approaches.
Productivity and Business Performance
Better Work Haiti will engage with employers and brands to promote sustainable and good purchasing practices. Better Work Haiti will continue collaboration with the Creating Investment Opportunities (CIO) project’s technical secretariat to cope with local crises and create conditions for investments in the apparel manufacturing sector with new industry segments and create a unique value proposition focused on offshoring, agility, and productivity.
Wages
Better Work Haiti will continue to collect and share in-depth data on wages and other benefits to support compliance with related labour laws as well as to support constituents to pilot a transition to digital wages.
Social protection
Support workshops to disseminate the National Protection and Social Promotion Policy (PNPPS) as well as the formation and maintenance of sectoral social protection tables and drafting of territorial social protection plans in the North and Northeast. Better Work Haiti will also support enterprises and unions federation knowledge and capacity to apply the PNPPS.
Key partners and donors
