The International Experience
Project Objective
This project examines the international experience of governments' positive intervention to improve pay and employment equity and quality work outcomes for people in precarious work and to assess the potential applicability to the New Zealand context.
The following initiatives were designed to impact in particular ways on the employment conditions and/or wage levels of low paid and vulnerable workers in different countries around the world:
- Minimum wage laws
- Prevailing wage law
- Living wage ordinances
- Contract compliance requirements
- Industrial awards
- Transfer of Undertakings (protection of employment) Regulations (TUPE)
- Pension/superannuation protection
- Positive Duties
- Health care payments
- European Union Directives
- Equality Impact Assessments
- Codes of Practices
- International Labour Organisation Conventions
- Decent work programmes
Some of these have their genesis in the early 20th century and others are very recent initiatives. Some are inter-related.
The initiatives are discussed below under appropriate main headings.
In so far as the available literature allows, the nature and impact of the initiatives have been examined in the following countries and regions:
- United States of America (USA)
- Canada
- England
- Wales
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
- Ireland
- Europe
- Scandinavia
- Australia.
