General Publications
Department of Labour Annual Report 2006
Vote Labour
Output class: International services - labour
Description
This output class includes managing the social elements of trade related to the labour portfolio and coordinating multilateral and bilateral activities relating to labour and employment across the Department. It includes responsibility for managing the Government’s obligations to, and interests in, the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
This output class represents New Zealand’s labour interests internationally; builds, maintains and enhances relevant domestic and international relationships; promotes compliance with New Zealand’s international obligations and ensures Ministers are advised of relevant international labour-related issues. This output includes negotiating the labour component of free trade agreements and closer economic partnerships; and implementing their labour component once they enter into force.
This output class contributed to the following medium-term goals:
- Our values and labour market and migration interests are promoted and supported through participation in a rules-based international system
- Our international connections ensure that trade, foreign investment, and skills and knowledge transfer improve the wellbeing of our people.
It contributed to these goals through:
- participating in, and influencing, international labour Institutions
- contributing to setting relevant and effective international standards
- ensuring that New Zealand meets and is seen to meet its international obligations
- participating in bilateral and regional trade initiatives and closer economic relationships that create ongoing relationships based on labour collaboration, dialogue and cooperation
- ensuring the Department’s input to international labour forums and issues is consistent, efficient and coordinated
- providing international best practice information for policy and operational purposes.
Activities
Activities carried out included:
- leading the labour component of four bilateral and regional free trade and closer economic partnership negotiations
- implementing the labour component of two free trade and closer economic partnership agreements
- providing high-quality representation at overseas meetings on labour and employment issues, including three of the International Labour Organisation Governing Body meetings and one International Labour Conference
- managing the Department’s international visitor Strategy
- coordinating the Department’s input to International Labour Organisation Pacific capability building
- managing New Zealand’s bilateral relations with Australia as they relate to the labour portfolio, including hosting a tripartite bilateral meeting in preparation for the 2006 International Labour Conference
- managing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), United Nations (UN), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) commitments and obligations related to the labour portfolio
- providing advice to Ministers on relevant international labour issues
- ensuring New Zealand meets its International Labour Organisation reporting obligations by providing regular reports on New Zealand’s compliance in law, policy and practice with International Labour Organisation standards, and by consulting with designated representative organisations of employers and workers on all such reports
- reporting to Parliament on the text of newly-adopted International Labour Organisation standards as required by the International Labour Organisation constitution
- coordinating inter-departmental advice to Ministers on the implications of ratifying International Labour Organisation Conventions
- administering and coordinating the tripartite steering group and officials’ working group developing New Zealand’s Decent Work Action Plan.
Performance information
Results measures
Performance standard
Performance to 30 June 2006
The Minister of Labour is satisfied with the quality of the Department’s policy advice on international labour issues relating to the labour portfolio. The Appendix to this part of the Annual Report sets out the quality standards for policy advice.
The Department sought feedback from the Minister on the quality of policy advice through six-monthly satisfaction surveys.
For the six months ending 31 December 2005, the Minister gave an average rating of 3.8 (on a scale of 1 to 5) for the quality of policy advice provided by the Department. For the six months ending 30 June 2006, the Minister gave an average rating of 3.6.
Cabinet mandates for free trade negotiations are met and Ministers are satisfied with outcomes.
The Memorandum of Understanding on Labour Cooperation among the Parties to the Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore), was signed by New Zealand, Chile and Singapore on 18 July 2005. Brunei signed the agreement in early August 2005.
The Arrangement on Labour between New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand, signed alongside a Closer Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries, entered into force in April 2005.
Work was undertaken on the implementation of these two agreements, including two senior labour officials’ meetings held in accordance with the agreements.
Departmental representatives were also involved in the labour component of free trade agreement negotiations with China, Malaysia and (with Australia) the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The Department participates, or assists others to participate, in multilateral initiatives to promote New Zealand’s international labour related interests and will report quarterly on progress.
As reported quarterly, we actively participated in three International Labour Organisation Governing Body meetings (in November 2005, March 2006 and June 2006), where we contributed to discussions on governance issues such as human resources and reform of the International Labour Organisation’s decision making bodies. We also attended the annual International Labour Organisation Conference in June 2006, and contributed to debate on the development of standards on the employment relationship and occupational health and safety.
We also participated in two meetings on the new Regional Skills Network, a joint International Labour Organisation/Korea programme for the Asia-Pacific region.
In May 2006, we participated in the APEC Human Resources Development Working Group annual meeting and gained support for New Zealand’s project proposal for an APEC-sponsored seminar on high-performance workplace systems.
The Department also attended an OECD Employment, Labour and Social Affairs meeting in November 2005.
Formal requests for bilateral participation, visits, assistance or advice confirm international interest in New Zealand’s labour law, policy and practice as examples of best practice, and are reported on quarterly.
The Department hosted 12 visits by international delegations.
The first Trans-Tasman Labour Forum between New Zealand and Australia was held in 2005, where senior labour officials from New Zealand and Australia discussed areas such as productivity, workplace relations, participation policy, participation implementation, skills development and international issues.
ILO reports are submitted within agreed deadlines in compliance with New Zealand’s constitutional obligations as an ILO member.
The Department coordinated ILO reporting internally and with other government departments, Business New Zealand and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions. This included the submission of 22 reports to the International Labour Organisation on New Zealand’s compliance in law, policy and practice with International Labour Organisation standards and responding to four specific International Labour Organisation questionnaires, all in accordance with International Labour Organisation requirements.
General Publications
Department of Labour Annual Report 2006
The increase in appropriation of $0.208 million in the Supplementary Estimates was due to:
- travel relating to the Doha Development Round and Closer Economic Partnership/Free Trade Agreement negotiations
- a fiscally neutral transfer of the allocation of corporate costs.
The $0.281 million actual surplus in Revenue over Expenditure was due to the postponement of planned International Labour Organisation meetings and delays in the commencement of projects.