Gov’t moves to retroactively validate labour inspections

The government is seeking to retroactively validate past labour inspections carried out without the proper legal appointments.

Speaking in the House of Assembly, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said a bill has now been brought to fix the issue, which could otherwise affect the legality of prior inspections.

According to the Premier, the Labour Code Validation of Labour Inspectors Bill 2025 aims to regularise all inspections conducted since October 4, 2010.

“All inspections that were conducted since 4 October 2010 would be deemed to have been validly conducted as they would have been if the public officers were designated as labour inspectors and furnished with certificates of appointment in accordance with Section 12 of the Labour Code 2010,” the Premier said.

“I would imagine if we do not validate them, then those acts were not valid,” Dr Wheatley stated. “And any inspections which were done before were not valid. And I’m sure that that would have implications for us if those inspections indeed were not valid.”

Although he conceded that the retroactive validation was similar to officials “making wrong right”, Premier Wheatley said lawmakers should not find themselves in a similar position in future.

“Obviously, it is not an ideal situation as it pertains to the legal reasons for doing it,” he stated.

Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn, in supporting the Bill, said the labour code requiring inspectors was passed in 2010, but 15 years and two administrations later, the necessary actions had not been taken.

“We have to do better. If we are making laws in this country and we’re saying to citizens, you must follow the law, and these are the punishments and so forth, if you don’t follow the law, then we have to also lead by example.”

“We are putting the government’s purse and taxpayers’ money at risk because we are not doing the things that we’re supposed to do,” he added.