Minister of Labour speaks on the current delay on the OSH Bill

There is a new delay in the passage of Belize’s long-anticipated Occupational Safety and Health Bill, also known as the OSH Bill.  Minister of Labour, Kareem Musa, confirmed the setback, noting that while the bill has already advanced through key stages, additional work is still being done to ensure it is fully aligned with stakeholder input and international labour standards.  He cited one aspect of the bill that the Senate was unsure of and is now being revised.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Labour: “This week the OSH Bill went to the Senate and there was an issue that was raised at the House committee level. As you know, the OSH Bill has gone to stakeholders, it has gone through over a decade of consultations. It is something that the National Trade Union Congress of Belize has been pushing and we in the government support. And so I hope that it’s only a hiccup, but the issue that is raised is one specific issue that is domestic workers in households. So the legislation, as it is currently drafted, covers domestic who work for companies, domestics who work for the government. But in terms of enforcing and inspecting households, because we’re looking at domestics working in households, it was discussed that, like I said, all the consultations that that might have been something very difficult. We’re not against reviewing it at all if it is a position after hearing all the facts and hearing all the deliberations that the senators believe should be made an amendment they have the power to make that amendment and propose it to us. But at the time it was considered when the final draft was made, it seemed a bit unreasonable that every single household can be inspected in terms of domestics. There will still be the requirement in terms of protecting domestics worker in households but to include it in the law as part of the inspection sites for all the labor officers, it’s a lot.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Bill, 2025 is a comprehensive piece of legislation aimed at modernizing Belize’s workplace safety framework. It was first debated in the House of Representatives on February 6, during its second reading, led at the time by Minister of Rural Transformation, Oscar Requena, on behalf of Minister Musa.  The proposed law seeks to replace the decades-old Factories Act, expanding occupational safety protections beyond traditional factory settings to cover all workplaces across Belize, including sectors such as agriculture, construction, tourism, healthcare, and maritime services.  Among its key provisions, the bill establishes a National Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Committee and creates a dedicated inspectorate to enforce compliance. It also outlines clear duties for employers, workers, and self-employed persons, mandates the reporting of workplace accidents, and introduces protections for employees who report unsafe conditions.  If passed, the legislation will also require the formation of workplace safety committees and introduce enforcement mechanisms, including compliance notices, prohibition orders, and administrative penalties.  While the delay has raised some concern among labour advocates, officials say additional time is being used to finalize the framework and ensure the law is both effective and enforceable once enacted.  The OSH Bill has been years in the making, involving extensive consultation with unions, employers, and international partners, and is widely seen as a critical step toward improving working conditions and reducing workplace-related injuries and illnesses across the country.