Category Archives: Labour

Public Holiday Entitlements during this Festive Season!

Press Release

Public Holiday Entitlements during this Festive Season!

This year, both Christmas and New Year’s public holidays fall over the weekend and for some industries that work right through the festivities, the question of worker’s entitlements is a concern. Following legal advice, the Labour and Consumer Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs would like to inform you about your rights and obligations under the Employment Relations Act 2012 (ERA) and the Public Holidays Act 1999 (PHA).

Under the PHA Christmas day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Day after New Year’s Day are deemed public holidays and are the minimum public holiday entitlement for all workers required to work on those days. Section 3(2) of the PHA provides that when these public holidays fall on a Saturday or a Sunday, the holiday shall be observed respectively on the following Monday and Tuesday. Section 38(2)(a) to (d) of the ERA enables employee and employer negotiations over how to deal with public holiday entitlements, for example, either paid double time, or single pay and time in lieu or given an extra annual leave day.

If workers are required to work on the public holidays as well as the days to be observed as public holidays, that is Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, workers are entitled as a minimum to be compensated under section 38(2)(a) to (d) of the ERA for working those days. Striving for Decent Work standards across the country, employers are therefore encouraged to adopt a fair and reasonable approach in implementing section 3(2) of the PHA and section 38(2)(a) to (d) of the ERA during this festive season.

The Labour and Consumer Division wishes a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017 to all our valued stakeholders. Any additional queries may be sent by email on employment@cookislands.gov.ck or by phone.

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Contact:

Sandrina Thondoo, Director of Labour and Consumer Division,

Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Sandrina.thondoo@cookislands.gov.ck

Media Release: NEW SHORT TERM EMPLOYMENT PERMITS FOR NZ (STePNZ)

12 October 2016

MEDIA RELEASE

NEW SHORT TERM EMPLOYMENT PERMITS FOR NZ (STePNZ)

The Government will be trialling a new fast-track permit type for New Zealand passport holders from 1 November 2016 to take advantage of the special entry requirements afforded to NZ passport holders into the Cook Islands as bona fide visitors up to six months in response to calls from the private sector, particularly the tourism and infrastructure sectors, to meet current labour shortages.

“It was important to Government to find a mechanism that can meet the immediate needs of businesses that would not compromise border control requirements such as health and police checks,” stated Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. Albert Nicholas, “nor result in long-term labour replacement of our local people”.

The new permit, labelled “STePNZ” (Short Term Employment Permit for New Zealanders), features shorter advertising timeframes and onshore submission and processing of health and police checks within a one-month period. Employment contracts will need to be reviewed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs prior to submission of applications to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. STEPNZ can only be extended once, totalling a maximum time of 12 months in the Cook Islands.

The STEPNZ Policy document and the Standard Operating Procedures are available for public review on the Ministry of Internal Affairs website or by emailing labour@cookislands.gov.ck.

Written submissions on the proposal can be submitted by no later than 26 October 2016 to labour@cookislands.gov.ck or delivered to the Secretary, Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Funding of $72,500 has been approved to support the implementation of STePNZ including development of a new online application process to facilitate the new STePNZ permit system. A manual process will be in place until the online system has been developed.

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Contacts:

Kairangi Samuela                                                                  Bredina Drollet

Principal Immigration Director                                           Secretary

Ministry of Foreign Affairs                                                   Ministry of Internal Affairs

 

 

Cook Islands Youth Monograph

The Cook Islands Government signed a Biennium Work Plan with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for the two year period in 2014 and 2015 to target issues affecting reproductive health and improving gender health outcomes.

While much of the planned work targeted programmes to assist with improved family planning, sexual and reproductive health services to prevent STIs, and raising awareness about violence against women, there was also a component for increasing the availability, analysis and utilization of data to inform policy decision making on population dynamics.

With support of the Cook Islands Statistics Office and UNFPA, two statistical reports using existing information contained in the Census was approved: these were the Labour Monograph and the Youth Monograph.

Below is a link to the Cook Islands Youth Monograph.

1. UNFPA _ Youth Monograph Report _ Young people of the Cook Islands HRv1

Media Releases – Minimum Wage Review

MEDIA RELEASE – 2015 Minimum Wage Review

FINAL MEDIA RELEASE – Public Consultations Minimum Wage Review, Jan 2015

Minimum Wage – Article by Anthony Turua

2015 Minimum Wage Review Issues Paper MAORI

2015 Minimum Wage Review Issues Paper – ENGLISH

2015 Minimum Wage Review – Labour Force Statistics and Facts

 2015 Minimum Wage Review – Worker Considerations

Pa Enua Minimum Wage Review

Pa Enua Notes on the Minimum Wage Review Questionnaire 2015

Cook Islands Minimum Wage Review 2015 – Employer Survey

Come along to our Labour and Economic Activity Workshop

EVERYONE is invited to attend a workshop to introduce the latest Labour and Economic Activity Report. This will be held next Monday, 17 November, at Sinai Hall at 9am.

The Cook Islands labour force

Why is the unemployment rate higher in the Southern Group?
How many adults are not participating in the labour force?
What % of households participate in an agriculture activity? In a fishing activity?

If you want to know the answers to these questions AND MORE, come along and hear about the Labour Monograph report.  What is a monograph?

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of economic activity and the labour force in the Cook Islands – the types of work people do, the education and training of the employed population and the participation of vulnerable groups in the labour force. The report is an initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Labour & Employment Relations Office). The monograph is  based on the Statistic’s Office’s 2011 Population and Housing Census.

Click here for more information about the Labour and Employment Relations Office

 

PSC Job Evaluation Training

Title:                     SP 10 Job Evaluation Workshop (SP means Strategic Pay the NZ Consultancy
company and 10 is the 10 Factors of evaluation)

Aim:                      To train both government and private sector to assess the value of a Job

Class:                    16 in groups of 4 – reps from INTAFF, MFAI, PSC, Ombudsman, Airport
Authority, MAgric,  ICI, OPM and BCI.

Teachers:            Geoff Summers and John McGill of Strategic Pay+, NZ company

Result:                  Certificate in Job Evaluation following submission of assignment –  10 Job
assessments.  Have about 2 weeks to complete.

Summary:           Working In teams of 4, each group was given Job Descriptions to assess in
terms of 10 factors:

1. People Management
2. Education
3. Experience
4. Complexity
5. Scope
6. Problem Solving
7. Freedom to Act
8. Authorities
9. Interpersonal skills
10. Impact/results of decisions

 This is a very complex system as each factor above has grades and numbers  depending on different measurements. A final score is given and this will determine the value of your job. Whether your job has been correctly assessed.

A person who does not agree with their job assessment can ask for another review but only one more can be done.

Points:  

  • It is most important for you to know that all government job descriptions will be evaluated in future by Evaluators (see CINEWs today)
  • The Evaluating Committee’s work is confidential.

Report by: Patricia Tuara-Demmke, Director of Labour