The woman was only trying to get the money owed to her by an employer, according to a report from the Complaints Commission that was recently made public: She was not an “aggressive money chaser.”

 

But despite seeking help from the Labour Department, her chances of getting justice were thwarted for years due to government’s failure to appoint an Arbitrational Tribunalas required by the Labour Code Act, 2010, the report states.

“We are really deeply concerned at the systemic problem created by the continued absence of a tribunal that is essential for procedural justice,” wrote Complaints Commissioner Elton Georges.

According to the Labour Code, when the labour commissioner or the minister of natural resources and labour cannot resolve disputes between employers and employees, they must be referred to the Arbitrational Tribunal.

This isn’t the first time a lack of a tribunal has lead to injustice, according to the report.

“This complaint is one of many that have been made, or could be made, of failure of the government machinery charged with administering the Labour Code to do so,” Mr. Georges added.

The tenth special report from the commission describes an investigation sparked by a complaint from a multi-year employee of a family that “it would appear” persistently breached the Labour Code in its treatment of her.

See the Aug. 15, 2013 edition for full coverage.