The Minister for Industrial Relations is a Minister of the Crown in the Government of New South Wales who has responsibilities for matters relating to industrial and labour laws and regulation in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The portfolio was established in 1895 in the Reid ministry and titled Minister for Labour and Industry, held in conjunction with the Minister of Public Instruction. The minister is responsible for assisting the Premier and the Treasurer in the administration of their respective clusters.
Ultimately the Minister is responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.
History The 1890s in New South Wales were a period of depression, with soaring unemployment and poverty, accompanied by industrial disputes and strikes, such as the bitter and prolonged 1890 Australian maritime dispute, the 1891 and 1894 shearers' strikes and the 1892 Broken Hill miners' strike.The Government Labour Bureau was established in February 1892 in response to the soaring unemployment and poverty brought on by the depression, with its principal tasks being in finding work for the unemployed and assisting families. There was also a legislative response, such as Trade Disputes Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1892, Apprentices Act 1894, and the Factories and Shops Act 1896.
The portfolio was established to be responsible for industrial registration, safety in the workplace, and the labour exchange, including the Government Labour Bureau.
Industrial relations in NSW was affected by the WorkChoices legislation and the Fair Work Act, which saw the Commonwealth assume responsibility for private sector employment matters. In 2017 Industrial Relations came within The Treasury and the portfolio was abolished in 2019 and merged into the portfolio of Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts. At the time of its abolition, the minister was Dominic Perrottet, who was also the Treasurer, since 30 January 2017.
The ministry was reestablished in December 2021.
List of ministers Minister Party Ministerial title Term start Term end Time in office Notes
Minister of Public InstructionMinister for Labour and Industry 11 March 1895 15 August 1898
27 August 1898 13 September 1899
14 September 1899 27 March 1901
28 March 1901 14 June 1904 17 June 1904 29 August 1904
29 August 1904 13 May 1907
14 May 1907 1 October 1907 Minister for Labour and Industry 2 October 1907 21 January 1908
22 January 1908 20 October 1910
21 October 1910 10 September 1911
11 September 1911 26 November 1911
27 November 1911 9 December 1912
10 December 1912 29 June 1913
30 June 1913 29 January 1914
29 January 1914 31 October 1916
31 October 1916 15 November 1916
15 November 1916 23 July 1919
23 July 1919 12 April 1920
12 April 1920 10 October 1921 Minister for Labour 10 October 1921 20 December 1921
Minister of Public Instruction and Labour and Industry 20 December 1921 20 December 1921 7 hours
Minister for Labour 20 December 1921 13 April 1922
Minister for Labour and Industry 13 April 1922 17 June 1925
17 June 1925 18 October 1927
18 October 1927 3 November 1930 Jack Baddeley
4 November 1930 15 October 1931
15 October 1931 13 May 1932
16 May 1932 26 May 1938
1 June 1938 13 October 1938
13 October 1938 16 June 1939 Athol Richardson 26 June 1939 5 August 1939 Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Services 5 August 1939 16 August 1939 16 August 1939 16 May 1941
16 May 1941 6 February 1947 Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Welfare 6 February 1947 29 October 1947 29 October 1947 9 March 1948
9 March 1948 30 June 1950 Minister for Labour and Industry 30 June 1950 23 February 1953 23 February 1953 15 March 1956
15 March 1956 13 May 1965
13 May 1965 11 March 1971
11 March 1971 14 May 1976
Minister for Industrial Relations 14 May 1976 9 August 1976
9 August 1976 4 July 1986 Minister for Industrial RelationsMinister for Employment 4 July 1986 21 March 1988
Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment 25 March 1988 24 July 1990 Minister for Industrial RelationsMinister for Further Education, Training and Employment 24 July 1990 3 July 1992 Minister for Industrial Relations 3 July 1992 26 May 1993 Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment 26 May 1993 4 April 1995
Minister for Industrial Relations 4 April 1995 28 June 2000
28 June 2000 13 June 2008
13 June 2008 8 September 2008
8 September 2008 11 September 2008
11 September 2008 8 December 2009
8 December 2009 21 May 2010
21 May 2010 28 March 2011
Minister for Industrial Relations 12 September 2012 17 April 2014
23 April 2014 7 May 2014
7 May 2014 2 April 2015
2 April 2015 30 January 2017
30 January 2017 23 March 2019
Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations,Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts 2 April 2019 15 April 2020 (acting) 15 April 2020 3 July 2020 3 July 2020 21 December 2021 Minister for Employee Relations 21 December 2021 23 February 2023 23 February 2023 28 March 2023 Minister for the Gig Economy 28 March 2023 5 April 2023 Minister for Industrial Relations 5 April 2023 incumbent
References
External links NSW Industrial Relations