Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2004, published 93rd ILC session (2005)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - New Zealand (Ratification: 2001)

The Committee notes with satisfaction the information contained in the Government’s first report and available from other national and international sources referred to in the report, showing that full effect is given to Articles 7 to 15 of the Convention.

The Committee also notes the detailed information provided by the Government in a letter of 17 November 2003 replying to comments by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) on the application of the Convention.

According to the NZCTU, the wage statistics collected by Statistics New Zealand for its Quarterly Employment Surveys (QES) use a different methodology and produce different figures from the wage data used in the Labour Cost Index, which are taken from the Household Labour Force Survey coordinated by the Department of Labour. In the view of the NZCTU, this inconsistency makes it more difficult to compare and use the data and it would be desirable for the two Government agencies to coordinate more and use more standard measures and methodologies for the collection of wage data.

The Committee notes in this respect that the wage data used in the Labour Cost Index are not drawn from the Household Labour Force Survey, but from a quarterly survey from employers, such as the Quarterly Employment Survey and, secondly, that the two surveys are conducted by Statistics New Zealand. In its reply dated 17 November 2003, the Government provided, inter alia, detailed information on the various measures of wages produced by Statistics New Zealand with regard to their objectives, source, scope and methods. These details supplement and confirm the information that it provided in its first report and that is available to the ILO. The Committee accordingly considers that there is no contradiction, but rather complementarities between these measures. It notes that, according to the Government, Statistics New Zealand can provide further information on the difference between these wage measures and the most appropriate source for the needs of users, and that full methodological information is also available on the Internet site of Statistics New Zealand.

The Committee is addressing a request directly to the Government on certain points.