The Department of Labour, under the chairmanship of Hon. Stephenson King, will host the 2018 annual Canada-Caribbean Agricultural Workers Programme Intergovernmental Review Meeting, next week.

The meeting is a forum which brings all stakeholders of the Canada-Caribbean Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP) together to discuss ways in which the gap in their labour market can be bridged with a view to expand employment opportunities for the OECS.

SAWP’s mandate is to allocate foreign workers to farms in Canada for six weeks to eight months annually. It is expected that this approach will help eliminate the labour shortages in the agricultural sector in Canada.

The delegation will comprise Ministers of Labour, Permanent Secretaries and Labour Commissioners from across the OECS, diplomats from the Canadian Federal Government and the Canadian High Commission Services, Canadian delegates, Canadian farm employers, and Eastern Caribbean Liaison Services Officials.

The intergovernmental review meeting will be held from Nov. 18 – 24.