Workers’ Rights are protected by law!
The PRISU Unit is also responsible for:
Education and Advertisement
Educating and advising employers, employees and the general public about the relevant labour laws as they relate to wages and terms and conditions of work.
Litigation Recommendations
Recommending litigation in cases where employers continuously ignore warnings for breaching the provisions of relevant labour laws.
Outreach Programmes
Supplying information and providing advice to employers and employees concerning the most effective means of complying with legal provisions.
The Public Relations, Industrial Services Unit (PRISU) is the monitoring and enforcement arm of the Department of Labour with the mandate of enforcing the country’s labour laws. In addition, the Unit is also committed to maintaining industrial peace in Saint Lucia. The PRISU provides a suite of services to stakeholders which includes, but is not limited to, dispute resolution, advisory services, customized training and outreach. PRISU continues to offer customized training to employers, trade unions and educational facilities to address specific needs of organisations.
The thrust of the PRISU has always been preventative conciliation which is voluntary. The Unit assists in the prevention of disagreements and complaints which are usually matters that can be resolved amicably without actually becoming a statistic of a reported dispute. The PRISU also intervenes, upon request, when there are breakdowns in work relationships between employees and supervisors. Organisations view their workers as assets and the workers value their jobs but when there are impasses, the PRISU then applies conciliation skills to break deadlocks with suitable approaches.
The Public Relations, Industrial Services Unit (PRISU) provides a suite of services which include, but are not limited to:
Dispute Resolution
Conducting conciliation proceedings between employees and Trade Unions, or employers and employees in dispute settlements over:
- Disciplinary measures instituted
- Wage increases
- Health and Safety
- Negotiations over collective agreements
Walk-in/Call-in Services
Providing advice and assistance to non-unionized workers and employers in respect of matters arising from individual employment relationships. Officers will also respond to simple queries on various workplace issues.
(For Workers)-PRISU assists individual workers who are not members of trade unions and who seek advice either before they make a decision to leave the job or after they resign or take some action which would have negatively impacted the employer/employee relationship.
(For Employers)-PRISU also assists employers who need advice on good industrial relations practice before taking the step to terminate or just need to know that they are taking the right steps to be in compliance with existing labour laws.
Advisory Services
Providing information and advice to unions, workers, and employers on the principles and practice of good industrial relations, including the fundamental rights to natural justice.
Outreach
Conducting workshops/ seminars on Industrial Relations issues for unions, employers, non- governmental organizations, senior public officers and small and micro enterprises.
Customised Training
The Department of Labour offers customized training to employers, trade unions and educational facilities aimed at addressing their organization’s specific needs. Requests can be made concerning the items or it can be customized to address the needs of the organization. Training can be done face to face and/or online.
Important Facts:
Employees who are not members of Trade Unions may seek the advice and assistance of the Public Relations Industrial Services Unit for any work-related issue.
The services provided by the Public Relations Industrial Services Unit are available to employees, employers, unions and the general public.
Contact Information
PRISU UNIT
Castries Office
Department of Labour
Green’s Building, Level 2
Barnard Hill, CASTRIES
468-3186 / 468-3183
departmentoflabour@govt.lc
Vieux Fort Sub Office
4th Floor
Antoine & Theodore Bldg
Cnr. Theodore St., & Hospital Road
454-5378 / 454-7744
