Sustainable and equitable job creation close to where New Zealanders live requires commitment from government, employers and workers. The top 10 priorities for action on equal employment opportunities summarises the recommendations:
- Disabled people
Increase the labour market participation of people with disabilities through active employment policies addressing attitudes, access to work and reasonable accommodation.
- Youth-to-work
Develop a national youth-to-work strategy that includes a plan for every young person in New Zealand, that has cross-party political support and long-term funding and is responsive to Maori and Pacific youth as particularly vulnerable groups.
- Migrant workers
Develop codes of practice in partnership with industry groups, in particular dairying and viticulture, to ensure fairness to migrants and to guide employers on best practice.
- Looking after the children
Ensure children have access to quality, affordable early childhood education in all areas of New Zealand, including active government policies to ensure coverage in provincial and rural communities.
- EEO across all sectors
Review existing equal employment opportunities legislation across the public and private sectors including amending the Employment Relations Act 2000 to include a positive duty to be a good employer.
- Pay and employment equity
Implement pay and employment equity strategies already developed by the Department of Labour across the labour market and strengthen the Equal Pay Act 1972 to include equal pay for work of equal value.
- Older workers
Urgently adopt a national programmatic approach managing ageing workforce issues, including models of labour market participation for older workers and transition strategies for different industry sectors.
- Support for employers
Enhance guidance about the “good employer” and non-discrimination in employment through MOUs between business agencies and the Human Rights Commission.
- Labour market information and analysis
Improve the provision of labour market information and analysis at a regional and sub-regional level to identify employment trends, including skill shortages, unemployment and industry sector needs.
- Adequate standard of living
Progressively increase the level of both the minimum wage and benefit levels to ensure universal entitlement to an adequate standard of living.