Decent Work New Zealand
Towards Decent Work - Charting our progress
Objectives 1, 2 & 4: Activities, Strategies and/or Institutional Arrangements Developed to Address each Critical Success Factor
CSF 19: Through strong, representative, and accountable social partners, tripartism and social dialogue are an integral part of “the system”.
Activity:
Tripartite initiatives to create and maintain workplace safety initiatives
Description:
The Accident Compensation Corporation’s workplace incentive programmes promote and facilitate tripartite involvement in creating and maintaining safer working environments in individual workplaces. The Accident Compensation Corporation also activity promotes and supports the building of workplace health and safety capability through initiatives such as the provision of assistance to the NZ Council of Trade Unions and Business NZ for the development and delivery of employee health and safety representative courses.
Lead Agency:
Accident Compensation Corporation
Activity:
Pay and Employment Equity plan of action for the next five years
Description:
The Government is proceeding to implement the action plan for pay and employment equity in the public service, public health and public education sectors. A dedicated unit has been established in Department of Labour which is developing tools and processes to enable agencies to implement the action plan and a tripartite Steering Group has been established to oversee the work of the unit.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Support for small businesses
Description:
The Department of Labour provides information and assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the SME sector on workplace issues and opportunities. The Small Business Information Unit provides SME-targeted workplace practice information with and through Business NZ networks, such as Productivity Tool Kit workshops with Chambers of Commerce.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Bilateral relations with Australia
Description:
The Minister of Labour has a standing invitation to attend the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council Meeting in Australia, held twice a year. Joint tripartite meetings are held with Australia over ILO matters. New Zealand's Department of Labour and Australia's Department of Employment and Workplace Relations also holds an annual forum to discuss labour issues.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Tripartite engagement of ILO matters
Description:
The Department of Labour convenes quarterly tripartite meetings to discuss ILO matters; organises New Zealand’s tripartite participation at the annual conference, including delegates’ briefings; arranges and funds tripartite attendance at four-yearly Asian Regional Meetings; and coordinates tripartite consultation on reports and questionnaires submitted to the ILO, and on the ratification of ILO Conventions.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Reporting on ILO Conventions
Description:
As a member of the ILO, New Zealand has certain reporting obligations to fulfil. These involve reporting regularly on New Zealand’s application of ratified Conventions (Article 22 reports); as requested on the application of unratified Conventions (Article 19 reports); annually on progress made on implementing the principles underlying the two core Conventions New Zealand has not ratified (under the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work); reporting on the texts of newly adopted ILO labour standards to Parliament (the A7 report) and responding to ILO questionnaires to inform discussions at the annual International Labour Conference.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Increase union density and the extent of collective bargaining in the aged care and disability sectors in order to improve wages
Description:
The NZCTU works with the Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU) and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) to improve wages and employment conditions in the aged care sector through collective agreements. The unions are jointly co-ordinating the Fair Share for Aged Care campaign. The NZCTU also works with the Public Service Association (PSA) and the SFWU in their campaign to improve wages and conditions for disability sector care workers through a focus on increasing coverage of collective agreements.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Calling for ratification of and compliance with ILO Conventions
Description:
The NZCTU calls for ratification of relevant ILO Conventions, and improvements to current legislation and policy so they are in line with ratified conventions. The NZCTU liaises with affiliated unions to monitor compliance with ILO Conventions that NZ has ratified. The NZCTU reports to Government and the ILO on this compliance.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Providing a worker perspective on the incorporation of labour standards in trade agreements
Description:
The NZCTU provides the Government with information on international labour practices and contributes to discussions with the Government on labour aspects of possible trade agreements, including direct reference to ILO core labour standards.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Campaigning for improvements to work/life balance
Description:
Unions and the NZCTU campaign for improvements to hours of work, breaks, leave and other conditions through collective bargaining and discussions with the Department of Labour on improvements to the minimum code.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Managing the effects of redundancies and company changes on workers
Description:
The NZCTU works with businesses and Government to help manage the effects of redundancies and company changes. It advocates for greater use of active labour market policy and is participating at a tripartite level in the development of “security in change” initiatives.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Union guidance/worker perspective on health and safety issues
Description:
The NZCTU provides guidance and a worker perspective on health and safety issues through such activities as submitting to ACC on shift-work fatigue as a hazard; contributing to occupational safety and health guidelines; and participating in a number of heath and safety for a and advisory groups including The Health and Safety Council and the ACC Ministerial Advisory Group.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Representation and input on migrant worker issues
Description:
The NZCTU, union affiliates and the CTU Komiti Pasefika network also discuss ways to strengthen worker rights in Pacific nations and participate in forums on Pacific Labour Market activities. The NZCTU has also launched a specific migrant worker project to develop resources for, and promote the rights of, migrant workers.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Older workers
Description:
The NZCTU liaises with the Retirement Commission, Human Rights Commission and other government agencies and non-government agencies on issues affecting older workers including part-time work options, retirement income and access to the health system.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Public Service Association Partnership for Quality and Public Service Tripartite Forum
Description:
The Public Service Association has entered its third quality agreement with the Government. The Public Service Tripartite Forum allows regular meetings between union members to discuss key workplace issues and processes.
Lead Agency:
Public Service Association
Activity:
Union advocacy and guidance on health workforce issues
Description:
The health sector unions have a Health Tripartite Forum and bipartite meetings with District Health Boards to help maintain constructive relationships and improve conditions of work for health sector workers.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Union participation in the governance of tertiary education institutions and industry training organisations
Description:
The NZCTU nominates union representatives to the councils of most tertiary education institutions and to most of the boards of industry training organisations. There is also a NZCTU nominee on the board of the Industry Training Federation. The purpose of this representation is to ensure that training providers are in touch with workers’ needs and that the diversity of potential trainees is reflected.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Retirement savings initiatives
Description:
The NZCTU promotes policies to support workplace retirement savings in both the public and private sector. The NZCTU Kiwisaver campaign provides information about Kiwisaver.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Skill New Zealand Tripartite Forum
Description:
An agreement between the Government, Business NZ and the NZCTU, aiming to create greater awareness of industry training and workplace learning and the skills needs of industry. In 2007, the government and tripartite partners agreed to develop a unified Skills Strategy for New Zealand. The aim of the Skills Strategy is to build a clear consensus on the skill needs of New Zealand moving forward and what the contributions of the various partners are to ensure the skills needs are met.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission