“We are pleased to present the Better Work Haiti (BWH ) Annual report for the Year 2019. This year completes 10 years operating in Haiti with our tripartite partners. During this decade, we have evolved, improved on many fronts, and made a meaningful and sustainable difference in the garment sector in Haiti. For the upcoming year, we will continue to engage with our partners and providing the sector the opportunity to reach their potential for economic growth and sustainability.” Claudine François – Country Programme Manager
Better Work Haiti’s latest annual report highlights factories’ assessment results, improvement efforts, and key initiatives from the past year.
Better Work Haiti has been operating in the country for 10 years. In 2019, we highlight improvements in social dialogue, collective agreements and internal work rules, as well as factory compliance with contracts that adhere to the national labour code.
The garment sector in Haiti has been impacted significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Better Work is working with specialists within the International Labour Organization to support the government on best practices in social protection systems to help address the gaps and meet worker needs.
With an increase in cases of sexual harassment in factories, Better Work implemented prevention and training packages for workers, supervisors, managers, trainers, and national labour inspectors.
In 2019, Better Work Haiti prioritised worker-management relations by strengthening platforms for participation in social dialogue within factories. Such initiatives contributed to the promotion of more advanced Human Resources management systems and demonstrated that worker-manager communication is an essential competitive asset for firms.
Althoug by the end of 2019, 66% of Better Work factories in Haiti still did not have on-site medical facilities and staff, this number has improved since the inception of the programme, when none of the factories had doctors on site. Better Work Haiti worked on raising awareness of factories on the importance of investing in on-site medical facilities and staff.