Labour

Strategic Context

As Labour pursues its mandate over the next three years it faces an environment of opportunities and challenges. The strategies identified in this Service Plan will mitigate risks, maximize opportunities and address key challenges.

Opportunities

  • Continuing efforts to enhance British Columbia's labour relations environment to provide labour peace and productive and more collaborative relationships will support government's Great Goal to create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.
  • The ratification of 139 negotiated agreements since February 2006, covering more than 98 per cent of British Columbia's provincial public sector, will provide certainty and labour stability for public sector labour relations for the period leading up to and including the 2010 Olympics.
  • The legislative framework encompassing the Workers Compensation Act, the Employment Standards Act, and the Labour Relations Code recognizes that one size does not fit all in a modern and changing work environment, and provides the foundation for an expanded economy and diversification.
  • Citizen-centred service improvements and other new proactive initiatives will lay the groundwork for ongoing labour stability and prosperity. These improvements and initiatives include: the creation of the Provincial Council on SafeBC; bringing collective bargaining mediation services into government to enable proactive and innovative approaches to relationship building and dispute resolution; new initiatives to improve service timeliness and responsiveness; and continuing to focus enforcement efforts to provide protection to those vulnerable workers who need it most.
  • Labour is committed to continuing to support and develop staff to ensure a skilled, motivated and client-focused workforce.

Challenges

  • Continuing strong employment growth puts pressure on the labour market and increases the demand for skilled workers, which could contribute to labour relations pressures.
  • As provincial, national and global economic climates continue to affect the stability of some workplaces in the province, the ministry strives to establish a stable employment environment to counter external forces and balance internal pressures.
  • Fatalities and serious injuries in the forest industry, along with strong employment growth in high-hazard sectors such as construction and mining, and among less experienced workers who are at greater risk of workplace injury, have all necessitated a continued emphasis on injury prevention and occupational health and safety initiatives, which is addressed by WorkSafeBC's activities.
  • Collective agreements in the coastal forest industry and municipalities will be up for renewal in 2007. The Ministry strives to establish a labour relations environment that will encourage productive relationships, renewal of collective agreements that are beneficial to the parties, and ongoing labour stability.
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