Annual Reports
Introduction
This Annual Report covers the period from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006. NACEW produced a Strategic Plan to cover the period from 2004-2007 as the basis for its ongoing work programme. The NACEW vision of “a good deal on women and work” is reinforced by its mission to open as many doors as possible for women, in the world of quality work. The three strategic themes underlying the focus for NACEW’s work programme continued as:
- the promotion of valued, quality work
- equipping women with choice
- influencing future directions for women in the workplace.
NACEW has three current priority areas where it has focused its activity over the year to add value to the work of government:
- pay and employment equity
- the quality of work, with a particular focus on precarious employment
- Māori and Pacific women’s employment, particularly enterprise development.
Background
2 Established in 1967, as an independent advisory body to the Minister of Labour on matters related to women and employment and is charged with the following responsibilities:
- to advise the Minister of Labour on matters referred to him/her concerning the employment of women
- to express views and make recommendations as appropriate to the Minister of Labour on matters relating to the employment of women
- to make representations or submissions as appropriate to public bodies such as Commissions of Enquiry, subject to the approval of the Minister
- to promote the dissemination of information on the employment of women in New Zealand and overseas.
Summary of Activities
3 NACEW has continued to apply a subgroup structure to progress its work programme. Key work included:
- the development and public launch of two brochures, ‘If you could be anything….. what will it be’? to provide case studies of successful Maori and Pacific women in self-employment.
- continuing work on the research on contracting in the government sector to identify the key attributes of contracting, particularly in the cleaning, residential homecare sectors, in order to identify levers for reducing precariousness for the employees in these sectors. This research will be completed later in 2006.
- completion of a paper on the economic rationales for reducing the gender pay gap, based on a local and international literature review of factors linked to the gender pay gap and how these impact on labour force participation and on business performance.
- a joint research project, between NACEW and the Department of Labour, ‘Decisions about Caring and Working: a Qualitative Study’ which investigated the decisions made by women and men who have caring responsibilities, and especially about whether, how, when and why they participate in paid work.
- a visit by Sue Hastings from the United Kingdom, who gave presentations at seminars and public meetings on pay and employment equity, especially the current UK experience and linkages for New Zealand.
Subgroup Work
Māori and Pacific Women’s Enterprise subgroup
4 The Māori and Pacific Women in Enterprise subgroup, continued with its three-year project, ‘Discovering the Potential of Women in Small Business in New Zealand’. Its purpose was to gain an understanding of the issues and needs of women in self-employment. The challenges and the benefits of self-employment were identified as key messages in this year’s focus on communications. This was achieved through the development and launch of two targeted brochures, ‘If you could be anything…..what will it be?”. The brochures aim to assist women in making informed choices when considering self-employment and contain three case studies of successful Māori and Pacific women in business. The first brochure was launched on 5 April 2006 in Wellington by the Minister of Women’s Affairs, the Hon Lianne Dalziel, at an event to mark Mana Wāhine week. It targeted Māori and Pacific self-employed women of all ages. The second brochure, targeted at senior secondary school girls who may be considering self-employment as a career option, was launched by the Minister of Labour, the Hon Ruth Dyson on 3 August 2006 in Auckland at the Pacific Business Trust Centre.
Pay and Employment Equity Subgroup
5 During 2005/06, the Pay and Employment Equity subgroup developed a paper on the economic rationales for reducing the gender pay gap. This focused on improving pay and employment equity and on raising minimum wages and conditions. The paper was based on a review of local and international literature in order to draw out:
- the factors that contribute to the gender pay gap
- the aspirations of families and how these impact on labour force participation, work-life balance, fertility, and the rationale for family policies
- gender equity issues that impact on business performance including skill shortages and occupational segregation, part-time work, low pay, pay equity, and human resource practices.
The paper concludes with the rationale for a gender focus in economic transformation and productivity arenas. Work on how to effectively use the findings from this analysis will be undertaken in 2006-07.
Precarious Employment subgroup
6 Over the past year the Precarious Employment subgroup has overseen the research on New Zealand Government contracting practices and international approaches to addressing precariousness in employment through contracting. The project aims to provide advice on how government might improve the quality of work for women in homecare, residential care and cleaning sectors.
Key issues arising out of both areas of research have been identified, and will be addressed in NACEW’s advice to the Minister of Labour. Recommendations will focus on achieving effective changes in wages and employment conditions for employees in these sectors, and the economic and social benefits to the community arising from reliability and quality of services.
7 Research Project: Women and Participation in Work- ‘Decisions about Caring and Working: A Qualitative Study’
NACEW and the Department of Labour, undertook a joint research project, ‘Decisions about Caring and Working: a Qualitative Study’. It set out to increase understanding about the decisions made by women and men who have caring responsibilities, and especially about whether, how, when and why they participate in paid work. It examined what impact this information might have on decisions and the implications/consequences of these decisions. The final report is expected to be completed by late August 2006.
Submissions
8 NACEW prepared submissions on the Annual Review of the Minimum Wage in 2005 and on the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave for Self-Employed Persons) Amendment Bill 2005.
2005 Annual Review of the Minimum Wage
In its submission, NACEW noted that a higher proportion of adult women are on low incomes than adult men, suggesting continuing gender-based inequalities in the New Zealand labour market.
The Council stated that moderate increases in the minimum wage were likely to have a positive effect on the employment experiences of women, and that there was evidence to suggest that there is a relationship between the minimum wage and narrower gender pay gaps and problems associated with the gender pay gap, such as the unequal division of paid and unpaid work between women and men. Raising the minimum wage was also likely to have positive implications for the work-life balance of people on low incomes and/or in precarious work.
NACEW also noted that a significant proportion of women on low incomes were in jobs for which the government contracts, for example, homecare, residential care and cleaning services. Therefore, some of the impact on employers of increasing the minimum wage could be offset by the government increasing its funding for such services.
NACEW recommended that further research be conducted in the following areas:
- income distribution by gender, ethnicity and age
- how firms, including small and medium enterprises react to the minimum wage and the different implications for male and female employees and for productivity
- the impact of the government’s agreement to increase the minimum wage to $12 per hour by the end of 2008 if economic conditions permit on low-income earners, business (including SMEs), productivity, and the wider economy.
Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave for Self-Employed Persons) Amendment Bill 2005
NACEW supported the extension of paid parental leave to self-employed women as self-employed women should enjoy the same benefits as female employees in relation to parental leave entitlements.
NACEW noted that:
- the time surrounding the birth of a child is a period of significant adjustment for families and that the provision of paid leave can ease this transition by lessening the impact of withdrawal from the paid workforce on a family’s income
- paid leave can also promote the health and wellbeing of new mothers and babies by enabling mothers to take time away from work.
NACEW also recommended that the operation of the scheme as it applies to self-employed mothers will need to be monitored to ensure that provisions operate consistently and fairly, but without imposing too large a burden of the compliance on mothers.
Partner Organisations
9 NACEW has affiliations with several partner organisations - the National Council of Women, the Maori Women’s Welfare League, Pacifica, Rural Women New Zealand and the YWCA. NACEW appreciates the networks which these organisations provide and the synergies provided in supporting women in employment in New Zealand. NACEW was very pleased to welcome representatives from all partner organisations to its November 2005 meeting as an opportunity to discuss current issues and priorities.
Council Membership Changes
10 Ministerial members
Suzanne Snively tendered her resignation from her second term as Chair in late 2005, after indicating to members during the year her wish to step down to focus on her many business commitments. Ms Snively has been on NACEW as a member and as Chair for over 12 years and made a valuable contribution to its work programme over that time. Pauline Winter took up her appointment as Chair from 30 January 2006. Other ministerial membership changes as well as departmental representation are noted in the attached table.
Pauline Winter
Chair NACEW
NACEW Membership: Council composition 2005-06
| Ministerial Appointees | Located | |
|---|---|---|
| Suzanne Snively, Chair (till January 06) |
Wellington | Partner PWC |
| Pauline Winter, Chair (from January 06) |
Auckland | Company Director, Consultant |
| Trudie McNaughton | Auckland | Company Director, Consultant |
| Beverley Main | Wellington | Chief Executive, HRINZ |
| Mary Marshall | Auckland | People Relations Manager, the Warehouse |
| Jane Scott (till February 2006) | Auckland | Independent consultant, Academic |
| Anne Meade (from May 2006) | Wellington | Education consultant |
| Jan Francis (from May 2006) | Waipu | Mayoral taskforce member, company director |
| Ronda Tokona | Dunedin | Solicitor, Farry & Co |
| Colleen Tuuta | New Plymouth | Company Director, Consultant |
| Expert Advisor | ||
| Martha Coleman | Wellington | Ministerial appointee, (Crown Law) |
| Employer and Employee Organisation Representatives | ||
| Barbara Burton | Wellington | Business New Zealand |
| Sheryl Cadman | Wellington | New Zealand Council of Trade Unions |
| Eileen Brown | Wellington | New Zealand Council of Trade Unions |
| Governmental Department Representatives 2005-06 | ||
| Heather McDonald | Wellington | Department of Labour |
| Rowena Phair Nicky Lynch |
Wellington | Ministry of Women’s Affairs |
| Liz Jones (from March 06) Isabel Evans (from May 06) |
Wellington Auckland |
Ministry of Social Development |
| Theresa Fabricius Vaioleti Lui (from March 06) |
Auckland Wellington |
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs |
| Kim Aiomanu (till Nov 05) Robyn Rendall (from Mar 06) Denise Hartley-Wilkinson (from May 06) |
Wellington Wellington Wellington |
State Services Commission |
| Secretariat and policy support | ||
| Christine Simpson Dairne Grant Gitika Mangar |
Wellington | Executive Officer Policy support |
