Apia, Samoa (ILO News): Worker and employer organizations in New Zealand have welcomed the opportunity to engage in an exchange of expertise with counterparts in the Pacific island nation of Samoa.

The Government of Samoa is in the process of developing a Labour and Employment Relations Bill to replace the thirty year old existing legislation. To support the consultation process, a mentoring partnership has been created between the Samoa Trade Union Congress and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and their counterparts in the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and Business New Zealand. This partnership has already resulted in joint position papers from each social partner submitted to the Government of Samoa. Mentoring support from employer and worker organizations in New Zealand is expected to continue over the medium to longer term as part of ongoing efforts to support social dialogue and strengthen the participatory labour law reform process.

The initiative is being supported by the ILO Office for South Pacific Island Countries within the framework of the technical cooperation project ‘Labour Governance & Migration.’ The ILO project is one of several being implemented across Asia and the Pacific under the Australian Government – ILO Partnership Agreement (2010 – 2015).

Peter Conway, Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions said “the NZCTU welcome participation in this work. Alongside our social partner, Business NZ, we were able to contribute towards reform of labour legislation in Samoa". Paul Mackay, Manager of Employment Relations Policy with Business New Zealand stated “we are committed to contribute in whatever way we can to the economic wellbeing of our Pacific neighbours.  Working with the ILO to assist in law reform or capacity building of employers organizations are just two examples of how we work together. Working directly with our sister organizations in Samoa and the rest of the Pacific to generate discussion and ideas is another. In this way we learn from each other”.

The initial success of this initiative has led to further plans to expand the mentoring programme to other Pacific island countries within the framework of the project as well as broadening the scope to include the exchange of expertise with employer and worker organizations in Australia.

For further information please contact:

Ms Anne Boyd
Project Manager
GJP framework for Pacific labour governance and migration
ILO Country Office for South Pacific Island Countries
Tel: +679 3313410
Email