The Minister of Labour is a former ministerial position in the New Zealand Government, responsible for labour market regulation and workplace health and safety. It was established in 1892 and was replaced with the new position of Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety in 2014.
Responsibilities A briefing to the incoming Minister of Labour in 2008 describes the portfolio's primary concern as "the effective operation of New Zealand workplaces." The minister held responsibility for employment relations law (including bargaining, mediation and dispute resolution), setting and enforcing minimum standards for health and safety and employment conditions, and managing the government's relationships with sector bodies such as the Council of Trade Unions and Business New Zealand.
The minister was the responsible minister for the Department of Labour, which was established one year before the first appointment was made. On 1 July 2012, the department was merged into the new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
History The Minister of Labour was responsible for employment law including industrial dispute resolution. The position and the accompanying government department were created in 1892 soon after a large strike of New Zealand maritime workers and miners in support of an Australian maritime dispute. The first minister, William Pember Reeves, developed the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1894 which was intended to enable unions to negotiate with employers on a more-equal basis. The act also established the first national arbitration court, which gradually established an award system setting standards for minimum pay and conditions for different industries.
In 1973, the law was modernised but retained a level of central control. Ministers of labour would personally get involved in dispute resolution with unions. This ended in 1987 when compulsory arbitration was abolished. Successive labour ministers under the Fourth National Government and Fifth Labour Government progressed significant employment law reforms, resulting first in the Employment Contracts Act 1991 and later the Employment Relations Act 2000. National's Bill Birch was responsible for labour market deregulation, reducing the statutory role of unions which Labour's Margaret Wilson reinstated.
After the 2014 general election, the portfolio was disestablished and replaced by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety.
Office-holders The following MPs have held the office of Minister of Labour:
Key
No.NamePortraitTerm of OfficePrime Minister1William Pember Reeves31 May 189210 January 1896 BallanceSeddon 2 Richard Seddon 10 January 1896 10 June 1906 3 William Hall-Jones 21 June 1906 6 August 1906 Hall-Jones 4 John A. Millar 6 August 1906 6 January 1909Ward 5 Alexander Hogg 6 January 1909 17 June 1909 (4) John A. Millar 17 June 1909 28 March 1912 6 George Laurenson 28 March 1912 10 July 1912 Mackenzie 7 William Massey 10 July 1912 14 May 1920Massey 8 William Herries 17 May 1920 7 February 1921 9George Anderson 1 March 1921 26 November 1928 BellCoates 10 Robert Wright 28 November 1928 10 December 1928 11 Bill Veitch 10 December 1928 28 May 1930 Ward 12 Sydney Smith 28 May 1930 22 September 1931Forbes 13 Adam Hamilton 22 September 1931 6 December 1935 14 Tim Armstrong 6 December 1935 13 December 1938Savage15Paddy Webb13 December 193827 June 1946Fraser 16 James O'Brien 27 June 1946 19 December 1946 17 Angus McLagan 19 December 1946 12 December 1949 18 Bill Sullivan 13 December 1949 13 February 1957 Holland 19 John McAlpine 13 February 1957 12 December 1957 Holyoake 20 Fred Hackett 12 December 1957 12 December 1960 Nash 21 Tom Shand 12 December 1960 11 December 1969 Holyoake 22 Jack Marshall 12 December 1969 7 February 1972 23 David Thomson 7 February 1972 8 December 1972 Marshall 24 Hugh Watt 8 December 1972 10 September 1974 Kirk 25 Arthur Faulkner 10 September 1974 12 December 1975 Rowling 26 Peter Gordon 12 December 1975 13 December 1978 Muldoon 27 Jim Bolger 13 December 1978 26 July 1984 28 Stan Rodger 26 July 1984 8 August 1989 Lange29Helen Clark8 August 19892 November 1990 Palmer Moore 30 Bill Birch 2 November 1990 27 March 1993 Bolger 31 Maurice McTigue 27 March 1993 21 December 1993 32 Doug Kidd 21 December 1993 16 December 1996 33 Max Bradford 16 December 1996 10 December 1999 Shipley 34 Margaret Wilson 10 December 1999 26 February 2004 Clark 35 Paul Swain 26 February 2004 19 October 2005 36 Ruth Dyson 19 October 2005 5 November 2007 37 Trevor Mallard 5 November 2007 19 November 2008 38 Kate Wilkinson 19 November 2008 6 November 2012 Key Chris FinlaysonActing Minister 6 November 2012 31 January 2013 39 Simon Bridges 31 January 2013 6 October 2014
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