AGY-459 | Department of Industrial Relations [II]

Full description

The Department of Industrial Relations was established on 6 April 1995 when the non-industrial functions of the Department of Industrial Relations, Employment, Training and Further Education were transferred to other Departments. (1) As a result, the Department of Industrial Relations, Employment, Training and Further Education was renamed the Department of Industrial Relations. (2)

The following branches of the former Department of Industrial Relations, Employment, Training and Further Education were transferred to the Office of the Board of Vocational Education and Training (abolished and renamed the Department of Training and Education Co-ordination on 13 April 1995) (3): the Employment and Training Division, the group of staff attached to the Board of Vocational Education and Training, Administration Division, Regional Offices, and the Employment Policy and Economic Development Branch. The Public Employment Service was transferred to the Premier’s Department. (4)

The new Department of Industrial Relations comprised the following branches (5): Industrial Relations Policy Services; Building & Construction Industry Long Service Payments Corporation; Enterprise Agreements Advisory Service; Industry Relations Operations Service consisting of the Industrial Registry, Public Sector Appeals, Industrial Compliance and Industrial Information; Commissioner for Enterprise Agreements; Legal Services; Women & Work Unit. (6)

The Department of Industrial Relations [II] was responsible for regulating employment rights, obligations and conditions in New South Wales. After the election of the Labor Government in March 1995, industrial relations experienced considerable change. The Industrial Relations Act 1996 (7) and the Employment Agents Act 1996 promoted best practice, workplace reform, and equitable outcomes for employees and employers. (8)

The Department of Industrial Relations continued to share corporate services with the Department of Training and Education Co-ordination until the 1997 financial year when it established its own corporate services. (9) In the 1997 financial year, the Industrial Registry and Commission was transferred to the Attorney General’s Department and the Office of the Commissioner for Enterprise Agreements was abolished. (10)

From the 1997 financial year, the Department of Industrial Relations was responsible for administering the Workers Compensation Resolution Service, a pilot project to improve the effectiveness of the workers compensation system. By 1998, the Department of Industrial Relations consisted of the following Divisions:
1) Office of the Director-General – communication link between the Department and the Office of the Minister for Industrial Relations;
2) Operations – provided advice on industrial entitlements and innovative workplace change, and the enforcement and prosecution of industrial laws. The Division also included the licensing of hairdressers, entertainment industry representatives and private employment agents, and provided secretariat support to the Government and Related Employees Appeal Tribunal;
3) Policy and Equity – implemented and promoted the State Government’s industrial relations agenda and provided the Department and Minister for Industrial Relations with policy advice on current and emerging industrial relations issues. The Division also included the Women’s Equity Bureau and this provided advice on pay and gender equity strategies, discrimination in industrial instruments;
4) Support Services and Staff Development Division, and the Legal Services Division. (11)

The Department of Industrial Relations was also responsible for the Workers Compensation Resolution Service and the statutory Corporation known as the Construction Industry Long Service Payments Corporation. Although the Corporation was constituted under the Building and Construction Industry Long Service Payments Act 1986, it was managed and administered by both the Director-General of the Department of Industrial Relations and staff of the Corporation. As a statutory body, the Corporation submitted its own annual report to Parliament. By 2002, the Department of Industrial Relations was responsible for administering the state’s employment legislation, ensuring compliance with awards, answering enquiries from the public about conditions of employment, providing advice to Government on emerging employment issues, consulting with and assisting industrial parties, and educating the community about employment issues. (12)

In 2002, the Department consisted of the Office of Director-General and the following Divisions:
a) Compliance Services Division – comprised six major contact centres and five out-posted inspectors who responded to industrial complaints, disseminated information on industrial laws, and undertook workplace inspections. The Division also included the Prosecutions and Licensing Units;
b) Workplace Services Division – coordinated delivery of industrial relations information services and advice to employers and employees. Also included the Women’s Equity Bureau, the Strategic Review Team, and the Industry Projects Team;
c) Business Development and Support Division – provided administrative support functions, offered processing systems and knowledge based services and products across the spectrum of finance, human resources, information technology, communication and media services. (13)

On 2 April 2003, the Department of Industrial Relations [II] was abolished and all branches were transferred to the Department of Commerce. (14)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.38, 4 April 1995, pp.1859 and 1862.
2. NSW Government Gazette No.38, 4 April 1995, p.1859.
3. NSW Government Gazette No.46, 13 April 1995, p.2021.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.39, 5 April 1995, p.1862.
5. Department of Industrial Relations Annual Report, 1994/95, p.2.
6. ibid., p.7.
7. The Act received assent 13 June 1996 and commenced 2 September 1996.
8. Department of Industrial Relations Annual Report, 1995/96, p.6.
9. Department of Industrial Relations Annual Report, 1997, p.1.
10. loc. cit.
11. Department of Industrial Relations Annual Report, 1998, p.11.
12. Department of Industrial Relations Annual Report, 2002, p.2.
13. ibid., p.31.
14. NSW Government Gazette No.67, 2 April 2003, p.4331.