Belize Moves to Resolve Labour Disputes Early with ILO Support

The Belize Labour Department has partnered with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to launch an effort aimed at strengthening workplace dispute resolution and improving access to labour justice.

As part of the programme, ILO Senior Specialist Pablo Arellano conducted an assessment of the Labour Complaints Tribunal. The review evaluated current operations, gathered feedback from participants, and agreed on steps to improve the system.

Belizean officials also joined a regional exchange on modernising labour justice systems. Led by Nancy Varela from the ILO Caribbean office, the forum connected local tribunal members with regional judicial leaders to share better ways to handle workplace conflicts.

Indira Demeritte-Francis, President of the Industrial Tribunal of The Bahamas, and Herbert Soverall, Vice President of Trinidad and Tobago’s Industrial Court, shared regional models from their respective jurisdictions to help Belize improve its dispute resolution process.

Technical officers from the Labour Department also trained alongside representatives from local trade unions and business groups. The practical workshops focused on interest-based negotiation, conciliation, and conflict management to help officers resolve employment disputes early before they turn into formal hearings.