Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Labour Arbitration Tribunal clears backlogged matters

Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) has praised the Labour Arbitration Tribunal for its work in clearing the backlog of matters, some dating as far back as 2015.

While addressing participants at the first workshop hosted by the tribunal held on Tuesday, March 23 Honourable Wheatley said since Attorney at Law Mr Jamal Smith took on the role of Chairman of the Labour Arbitration Tribunal, there were 12 backlogged matters dating back to 2015 with nine new matters to date.

Honourable Wheatley said, “Mr Smith and his team have adjudicated or settled 13 of those matters. Currently, there are eight active matters, and there has already been 15 hearings and two trials for the year, which is a testament to the commitment that the Tribunal has to serve the people of the BVI. Building capacity within the Territory is paramount to keeping the Virgin Islands compliant with international best practices and standards.”

Chairman of the Labour Arbitration Tribunal, Mr. Jamal S. Smith, said the management of the labour market is the most significant aspect of economic development and revitalisation, especially while recovering from the most devastating natural disasters in 2017 and now the COVID-19 pandemic that is heading into its second year.

“The Labour Arbitration Tribunal is central to maintaining certainty and security in the labour market so this first in what will be many more workshops like this supported by the ministry is absolutely critical to our Territory’s economic success,” Mr. Smith said.

The workshop was facilitated by former Presiding Judge of the BVI Commercial Court, Honourable Barry Leon, FCIArb and Partner at Spencer West LLP, Ms. Shan Greer, FCIArb. It focused on the role and powers of the tribunal to procedural hearings, evidence and applications. Participants were also engaged in lectures, group discussions and mock hearings.

Participant, Chief Fire Officer Mr. Zebalon McLean said he enjoyed the workshop and is hoping that labour solutions can be found for employees and employers going forward.

Mr. McLean said, “We signed up for this workshop because we really do want to serve in a way that makes things easier, for not only employees but for employers as well; there must be some level of accountability and we want to have a balance to make sure that many of the problems that we have with labour matters are satiated.”

The Labour Arbitration Tribunal is an independent tribunal set up under the Labour Code, 2010 with the power to make orders and awards with the same force as an order or award of the High Court.

The parties appearing before the body are entitled to the same rights or privileges as they would have before any court. The tribunal makes decisions about labour disputes and it regulates its own procedures as to how it will do so. This includes complaints about things like unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, redundancy and discrimination in the workplace as well as reviewing certain decisions of the Labour Commissioner.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×