The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Code Act, chapter 27.

This Act aims at creating a framework Law and bringing together all legislation applicable to employment, employment standards, and industrial relations in Antigua and Barbuda, in order to provide employers and employees with information on their rights and responsibilities, and to offer persons inside and outside Antigua and Barbuda, who consider the investment of funds in enterprises, a centralised source of information, and to simplify the legislative review process. The Act creating the Labour Code is composed of the following Divisions, dealing with one or more aspects of employment and labour relations: Declaratory Division; Administration Division; Basic Employment Division; Employment Health, Safety and Welfare Division; Women, Young Persons, and Children Employment Division; Work Permits Division; Trade Unions Division; Bargaining Agents' Registration Division; Employee-Representation Questions (Resolution) Division; Industrial Relations (Regulation) Division. This Act applies to all employers operating or doing business in Antigua and Barbuda, including the Government and to all employees of employers operating or doing business in Antigua and Barbuda.
The provisions of this Labour Code cover the following matters: overall responsibilities; responsibility of Labour Commissioner; responsibility of the Minister; creation of Labour Board and its composition, responsibilities, procedures and compensation; creation, composition and duties of the Arbitration Tribunal; roles and responsibilities of Labour inspectors, including power to entry and inspect any premises, to require the production of registers, certificates, notices, documents or other records, to determine the compliance of the Code with medical examination in case of inspectors who are medical practitioners; working conditions, commencement, elementary requirements and termination of employment; discrimination because of gender and race; standard and maximum work periods and exceptions in case of accidents, national emergency and urgent work needed; tax rates and deductions; penalties related to working conditions violations; unfair dismissal of employees; employment, health, safety and welfare, including: hygiene and sanitary minimum requirements; adequate supply of drinking water, special protective measures concerning food and drink in the event of use of poisonous substances; agricultural undertaking and crops cultivation; industrial undertaking, including: mining, storage, construction, or land, sea, or air transport enterprise; prohibition of employment of children; restriction in employment of young persons; equal pay for women; work permits and related application; penalties applicable to employees and employers; repeal of Work Permit Act no. 6 of 1971; ownership of properties of registered unions.