No. 122 - Employment Policy, 1964

Provisions

• Ratifying countries are required to declare and pursue, as a major goal, an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment.
• The policy is aimed at ensuring there is work for all people who are looking for work, that it is as productive as possible, and that there is freedom of choice of employment.
• It must take due account of the stage and level of economic development and mutual relationships between employment objectives and other economic and social objectives.
• The measures adopted for achieving the objectives of the active employment policy must be kept under review.
• Representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken, and in particular the representatives of employers and workers, must be consulted concerning employment policies with a view to taking full account of their experience and views, and obtaining their full cooperation and support.

Administered by

Department of Labour

• Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Repeal Act 2007
• Employment Relations Act 2000
• Equal Pay Act 1972
• Industry Training Act 1992

Ministry of Education

• Education Act 1989

Ministry of Justice

• Human Rights Act 1993
• Race Relations Act 1971

Ministry of Social Development

• Social Security Act 1964

State Services Commission

• Government Service Equal Pay Act 1960

There are other agencies that also administer acts and policies that have an impact on employment policy, but the above are the key agencies and pieces of legislation pertaining to this Convention.

How New Zealand implements it

• An Employment Strategy has been introduced by the Government to strengthen labour market performance by increasing participation in the labour market. The Employment Strategy aims to:
  • maximise the number of jobs that provide opportunities to increase potential and enhance productivity;
  • minimise persistent disadvantage in the labour market and enhance the sustainability of employment; and
  • improve the quality of people's working lives.
• The Government also has various employment initiatives and strategies aimed at disadvantaged groups and individuals. This includes a Unified Skills Strategy which focuses on lifting productivity through skills development and deployment of the existing workforce.
• The Department of Labour is the major agency responsible for employment policy. Its role is to facilitate equity, efficiency and flexibility in the labour market by developing policy which seeks to help disadvantaged job seekers find work and encourage people who receive income support to become self supporting where this is possible.
• The Ministry of Social Development is the major agency for the delivery of employment policy. Through Work and Income, the Ministry of Social Development provides:
  • access to a free nation-wide network; and
  • a range of services to help disadvantaged job seekers into the workforce, such as work focus interviews, job clubs, workplace modification grants for people with disabilities, wage subsidies, training, and project-based work experience programmes.
• The Department of Labour provides a range of services to help communities, groups and individuals identify their local resources, overcome barriers to employment and enterprise development, and generate employment opportunities at a local and national level.
• The Tertiary Education Commission's Training Opportunities Programme (TOP) provides training to school leavers and long term unemployed people, to improve their chances of finding employment. Through its links to the National Qualifications Framework, TOP is also designed to lead towards recognised qualifications.
• Industry training represents an important strategic partnership between government, industry, firms and employees in New Zealand. Under the Industry Training Act, the Industry Training Strategy offers a framework for government and industry to make an ongoing investment in skills development. For employees, it provides a means to develop skills and gain nationally recognised qualifications while in employment.
• Freedom of choice of employment is guaranteed by the various equal opportunities acts described under Convention 111.

This Convention is not applicable to Tokelau.

Ratified - 15 July 1965

Total ratifications - 97

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