Public Lecture by
Her Honour Mrs. Deborah Thomas-Felix
President of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago
Good morning to everyone.
It is indeed an honour to address this august gathering and I am very happy to accept the kind invitation, of the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria His Lordship the Honourable Mr. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip to deliver this public address and to add to the 2022 Legal Year celebrations of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. I bring greetings from the Judges and Staff of the Industrial Court of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Legal Year theme chosen for 2022 “Labour Justice and Socio- Economic Development” is very timely and of profound importance to countries worldwide including Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago. Today, I will examine “The role of Industrial Courts and International Labour Standards in promoting good governance to support economic and social development.”
One may ask what are International Labour Standards, and how do they promote good governance to support economic and social development globally? To understand what International Labour Standards are, one has to first appreciate the work of the International Labour Organisation, commonly called the ILO. The ILO, which is the only tripartite specialist agency of the United Nations, comprises of governments, employers and workers representatives of 187 member states. Unlike the UN, the ILO has been in existence for more than a century, since 1919. The main work of the 187 member states of the ILO, is to set labour standards and promote policies of decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity for all men and women around the world.