“Delivering a more equal and fairer world of work: Advancing the rights of LGBTQ+ workers in public services unions in the Caribbean”

Project Launch and Saint Lucia Awareness and Capacity Building Workshop

August 12-13 and 14-15, 2025

9:15 am to 5:15 pm | NWU Conference Room, Sans Souci, Castries

This is a first of its kind project for the Caribbean sub-region. It is an ambitious project that has been made possible with the support of FNV Rainbow.

Its primary aim is to advance the equal rights of LGBTQ+ people in the Caribbean sub-region of Inter-Americas, and to address a number of structural and cultural issues faced by LGBTQ+ workers in the sub-region. Law, religion and social and cultural perspectives are at the heart of discussions arguments relating to LGBT+ rights in the sub-region.

This project especially focusses on PSI’s affiliates in six countries in the sub-region. These are our pilot countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Guyana, and Saint Lucia. Affiliates in Curaçao and Sint Maarten – countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands - will also participate.

The project will seek, through different strategies, to influence the agendas of local unions for greater commitment to equality, non-discrimination and inclusion of LGBTQ+ workers in the unions themselves and in their workplaces. Particular importance will be given to organising, collective bargaining and ILO Convention 190 (Violence and Harassment).

In particular, the project will seek to increase collaboration, mutual support, experience sharing and knowledge exchange between PSI affiliates in the region and the FNV Rainbow Network. Similarly, the project activities will be instrumental in consolidating the PSI LGBTQ+ committee in the sub-region and other networks, ultimately promoting the participation of more Caribbean members in the ILGA Network.

The project will also develop a capacity building programme with LGBTQ+ trade union activists (core team) and LGBTQ+ rights promoters in the region as well as awareness-raising with trade union leaders, trade union members, national centres, employers, UN agencies and/or public authorities as Ministries of Labour or Dutch Embassies in the Caribbean. This way, the project will strategize concrete ways of influence.

Finally, the project will foster organising strategies to attract new LGBTQ+ workers, fight against discrimination and stigma, explore how to better operate in difficult contexts and defend human and labour rights.

The recent Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court ruling comes as a timely and vibrant hope for the LGBTQ+ community in Saint Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean.

Trade unions are critical to protecting and promoting human rights including economic, social, and cultural rights and the right to be free from discrimination.

Strategy & Planning Workshop: August 12-13

This two-day workshop marks the launch of the project and is for the senior leadership of the participating unions thus ensuring that the latter are fully informed about the project’s goals, expected results and target group. The workshop also provides a critical opportunity for the leadership to assist in formulating the strategy and assist in planning the various activities over the 18 months of the project.

Saint Lucia Awareness and Capacity Building Workshop: August 14-15

This two-day workshop is immediately after the Strategy & Planning workshop and focusses especially on issues in a Saint Lucia context. The key aim is to increase understanding and competency in supporting members/potential members with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions.

The target group comprises:

1.     Shop stewards/delegates/representatives

2.     Members of the LGBTQI+ community who are union members

3.     Union Young worker activists and organisers

4.     Organising and industrial relations staff