Strategic Context

As Labour pursues its mandate over the next three years it faces an environment that can be characterized as one in which there are both opportunities and challenges. The strategies identified in this Service Plan will mitigate risks, maximize opportunities and address key challenges.

Opportunities

• Support government’s Great Goal to create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada by continuing efforts to enhance British Columbia’s labour relations environment.
• Changes made to the Workers Compensation Act, the Employment Standards Act, and the Labour Relations Code recognize one size does not fit all in a modern and changing work environment and provides the foundation for an expanded economy and diversification.
• Enhance compliance with employment standards legislation by increasing public education and awareness and focusing enforcement efforts on our most vulnerable workers to provide protection to those who need it most.
• Labour is committed to continuing to support and develop staff to ensure a skilled, motivated and client-focused staff.

Challenges

• Continuing strong employment growth puts pressure on the labour market and increases the demand for skilled workers, which leads to the potential for less stable labour relations.
• The increase in fatalities and serious injuries in the forest industry, along with strong employment growth in high-hazard sectors such as construction, mining and among less experienced workers who are at greater risk of workplace injury have all necessitated a greater emphasis on injury prevention and occupational health and safety initiatives, which is reflected by WorkSafeBC.
• 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 as much as possible.
• Collective agreements for almost 90 per cent of public sector employees will be up for renewal in 2006. Compensation agreements must be affordable over the long term, and reflect labour market conditions specific to each sector.