Department of Labour
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The Department of Labour's primary role is to improve the performance of the labour market and, through this, strengthen the economy and increase the standard of living for those in New Zealand.
TARANAKI — A cleaning company has today been fined $80,000 for two separate incidents in August last year when employees were badly injured.
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One of New Zealand’s leading steel manufacturers has been fined nearly a quarter of a million dollars for repeated breaches of workplace health and safety legislation.
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In the past six months, 12 New Zealand employers have been prosecuted and fined more than $365,000 after some of their employees suffered a range of horrifying injuries because machinery wasn’t properly guarded.
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Immigration New Zealand says the conviction of an Auckland brothel-keeper for trying to smuggle a prostitute into New Zealand is a warning to others contemplating doing the same thing.
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In the past month the Department of Labour has visited 162 farms across the country as part of its campaign to make sure farmers and their workers and using quad bikes safely.
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The Canterbury and Japan earthquakes appear to have slowed visitor numbers in March.
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Following the Pike River tragedy in November 2010, the Government directed the Department of Labour to ensure that a safety audit of all other coals mines in New Zealand was undertaken by an international expert to ensure the mines are operating within current legislative and regulatory environments.
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Retail trade, hospitality and business services are likely to lead the way in creating around 200,000 new jobs by 2015, Department of Labour estimates suggest.
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Immigration New Zealand wishes to clarify the facts around the case involving Martyn Payne.
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NELSON — A Nelson employer has been fined almost $37,000 for failing to pay five of his former employees from July to November in 2009.
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HANMER SPRINGS — A Hanmer bungy jump operator was today ordered to pay $40,000 in fines and reparations after an Australian tourist was seriously injured while bungy jumping in May last year.
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Bluebird Foods Limited was last week fined $32,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $10,000 following an accident at its snack food factory in Wiri, Manukau in June last year.
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ROTORUA — A timber processing company based in Rotorua was yesterday ordered to pay reparations of $10,000 after one of its employees was seriously injured because the machine he was working on wasn’t adequately guarded.
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HAWKE'S BAY — A Napier-based company was fined $30,000 for its role in a logging accident which left one of its employees seriously injured, requiring part of his right leg to be amputated.
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PUKEKOHE — Counties Automotive Diesel Repairs Limited, a Pukekohe based company has today been fined $5,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $68,582 after a Vietnamese tourist was killed in an accident on Auckland’s southern motorway on 14 January 2010.
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AUCKLAND — An Auckland manufacturer has been fined $26,500 for an accident in February 2010 at its plant which led to part of a worker’s finger being amputated.
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WEST COAST — The Department of Labour today applied for a time extension to reach decisions on whether to prosecute over the Pike River mine explosions that killed 29 miners in November 2010.
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With less than three weeks until Easter, the Department of Labour is reminding retailers that they must shut their doors for two and a half days over the holiday period.
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Registration for this year’s Pacific Quota ballot opens today and closes at the end of the month.
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With the school year about to finish secondary schools have today been asked to point their students to updated information on a website specifically set up to help young people entering the workforce.
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A new tool to help businesses assess and improve their safety culture has been released by the Department of Labour.
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GREYMOUTH — The Department of Labour congratulates Greymouth engineering and civil construction company Liddell Contracting – winner of this year’s Skills Highway Award.
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A Christchurch company has been sentenced after one of its workers was seriously injured when the telephone pole he was working on broke due to below ground rot.
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The Department of Labour is today urging farmers to wear seatbelts on tractors, and to fit seatbelts to older tractors, to ensure their safety.
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Figures released today by the Department of Labour show continued growth in the total number of job vacancies advertised online.
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AUCKLAND — Manufacturers can’t just install their equipment in a business and walk away without checking the equipment for safety in the workplace according to the Department of Labour.
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The bi-annual review of the Immediate Skill Shortage List (ISSL) and the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL), administered by the Department of Labour, has been completed.
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The bi-annual review of the Immediate Skill Shortage List (ISSL) and the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL), administered by the Department of Labour, has been completed.
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Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has begun fingerprint checks with Australia as part of a biometric programme to strengthen border security and prevent identity fraud.
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Despite an unexpected decline in employment, the Department of Labour’s Leading Indicator of Employment forecasts modest employment growth over the coming months.
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OREWA — The death of a school caretaker and the penalties imposed today on the school’s Board of Trustees underline the importance of keeping workplaces safe, the Department of Labour says.
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AUCKLAND CITY — Immigration New Zealand has suspended the processing of applications for international students to study at Auckland’s Kingsland Institute, and is reviewing some approved applications, after the arrest of two men, including a manager at the Institute, for immigration fraud.
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NAPIER — The jailing of three men by the Napier District Court today for illegally using foreign workers sends a clear message that offending like this will not be tolerated, says Immigration New Zealand.
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Nearly 100 business leaders from throughout New Zealand will this week make a commitment to work towards zero harm from workplace deaths and injuries in their businesses.
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The Department of Labour has today launched an online database of Employment Relations Authority determinations that will enable individuals and organisations interested in the employment relations process to search employment law cases and download ERA determinations.
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AUCKLAND — Work on strengthening the Auckland Harbour Bridge has won Total Bridge Services two top Safeguard Health and Safety awards — the Supreme Award and the Department of Labour’s Award for the best initiative to address a health hazard.
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Kiwi companies are making promising inroads into the country’s poor rate of adult literacy – now there’s a website to help others do the same.
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CHRISTCHURCH — The Department of Labour says making sure standard industry health and safety practices are implemented in workplaces will go a long way toward reducing New Zealand’s unacceptable level of work place accidents.
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The Department of Labour is reminding employers that even if they subcontract work out they are still responsible for providing a safe workplace.
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This media release can be attributed to the Department of Labour's Head of Workplace, Lesley Haines.
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A new indicator predicting when there are likely to be significant changes in the labour market has been launched by the Department of Labour.
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The Pacific quota registrations are currently underway for the 2010 Samoa Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) ballots.
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From 4 May 2010 people providing New Zealand immigration advice offshore must be licensed, unless they are exempt from licensing.
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With Easter now behind us, the Department of Labour is reminding retailers they must also close on Anzac Day until 1pm.
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The Department of Labour visited 23 retailers throughout the country yesterday to check compliance with shop trading legislation.
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The Department of Labour visited 27 retailers throughout the country today to check compliance with shop trading legislation.
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In the run-up to Easter the Department of Labour is advising retailers to ensure they are familiar with the law that restricts shops from trading on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
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ASHBURTON — A court sentencing in Ashburton today over a man being crushed to death in machinery highlights the human cost of businesses ignoring basic safety procedures, the Department of Labour says.
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The Department of Labour today released a Code of Employment Practice on Infant Feeding in the Workplace.
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Farmers and other employers who require employees to use all terrain vehicles (ATVs) are legally required to ensure that employees are well trained in their use, the Department of Labour says after sentencing in a prosecution for over an ATV fatality.
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The Department of Labour has urged employers and people in charge of workplaces to take an active and timely approach to their responsibilities under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act) and to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of their workers.
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BAY OF PLENTY — The Department of Labour has completed its investigation into the rock fall incident that occurred in the Mangorewa Gorge on State Highway 36 between Rotorua and Tauranga on Thursday 6 August 2009.
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The Department of Labour has welcomed Federated Farmers’ initiative to encourage its members to have written employment agreements with their employees, says Craig Smith, the Department’s Chief Adviser for Employment Relationships.
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The Department of Labour has commissioned independent testing to determine the facts surrounding allegations that some Wellington buildings have unsafe abseil access anchors.
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The Department of Labour today released three reports prepared as part of the Review of Risk Management and Safety in the Adventure and Outdoor Commercial Sectors.
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OREWA — The Department of Labour has laid charges against The Orewa College Board of Trustees following an investigation into the boiler explosion at Orewa College in June 2009.
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WELLINGTON — A fine of $50 000.00 and reparation totalling $17 000.00 were imposed today on Ferg’s Rock-n-Kayak Limited in the Wellington District Court following a climbing wall accident in December 2008.
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WHANGAREI — The Department of Labour has confirmed that charges laid under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 following the death of animal handler Dalu Mncube at Zion Wildlife Gardens near Whangarei in May 2009 have been adjourned without plea to 18 February 2010.
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OREWA — The Department of Labour is laying charges over the boiler explosion at Orewa College earlier this year.
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The Department of Labour and Scaffolding and Rigging New Zealand (SARNZ) are working together to help employers in the scaffolding industry.
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Incidents On 4 and 15 September 2009, there were two fatal workplace accidents involving the explosion of flammable vapours during the cutting of metal tanks.
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The Department of Labour is urging farmers to ensure that employees required to use All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) in their work are given proper safety equipment – including helmets.
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A new first aid guide will help employers comply with their legal obligations and keep their workers safe.
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Employers need to ensure their safety procedures covering work in confined spaces are up-to-date and applied on an ongoing basis, says Department of Labour Service Manager Annette Baxter.
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As New Zealand’s population ages, the country will face an increasing shortage of skilled caregivers to look after its older citizens, according to a report from the Department of Labour.
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“The Plan of Action to Prevent People Trafficking demonstrates the high priority the New Zealand Government places on fighting transnational crime,” Head of Immigration Andrew Annakin says.
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The Department of Labour is reminding businesses to ensure procedures designed to protect staff from exposure to chemical leaks are kept up to date and equipment is regularly checked.
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The Department of Labour is encouraging all employers and employees to talk to each other about what will happen if their workplace is shut or workers are forced to stay at home for reasons outside their control.
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Summer continues to be the most deadly season for Kiwi workplaces, provisional figures from the Department of Labour show.
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With Easter now behind us, the Department of Labour is reminding retailers they must also close on Anzac Day until 1pm.
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Registrations for the 2009 Samoa Quota (SQ) ballot are now open and eligible citizens of Samoa will have until 30 April to lodge their registration form.
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Registrations for the 2009 Pacific Access Category (PAC) ballots are now open.
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WELLINGTON — The Department of Labour is asking private sector organisations and government agencies for practical and constructive ideas on how to improve health and safety in the workplace.
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With Daylight Saving having come to an end, the Department of Labour is reminding people to look out for workers working in dim evening light, as this will now be more likely with increasing hours of darkness, as we move into winter.
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With Daylight Saving having come to an end, the Department of Labour is reminding people to look out for workers working in dim evening light, as this will now be more likely with increasing hours of darkness, as we move into winter.
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In the run-up to Easter the Department of Labour is advising retailers to ensure they are familiar with the law that restricts shops from trading on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
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A new law that provides rest and meal breaks for all workers and breaks and facilities for infant feeding in the workplace comes into effect next week.
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Workers receiving the minimum wage will receive a pay rise from 1 April.
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AUCKLAND — The Department of Labour has been informed of a workplace fatality which occurred this morning at Ormiston Rd, East Tamaki.
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AUCKLAND — The Department of Labour has been informed of a workplace fatality which occurred this morning at Ormiston Rd, East Tamaki.
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A guide to reducing the risk of workplace violence in the health and community care sectors has been released by the Department of Labour and the Counties Manukau District Health Board.
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The Department of Labour is urging builders to make sure sites are left secure before they depart for their summer break.
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NELSON — The death of a Nelson worker struck by machinery he was cleaning highlights the need for employers to identify whether a change in processes has created new, potentially deadly, hazards, the Department of Labour says.
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Employers, unions, and the community are working together with the Department of Labour to make our workplaces safer, says Department of Labour Head of Workplace Health and Safety Craig Armitage.
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Today's announcement by the Office of the Auditor-General of the terms of reference of its audit and inquiry into Immigration New Zealand has been welcomed by the Chief Executive of the Department of Labour, Christopher Blake.
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The Department of Labour has appointed a new acting head of its Workforce group, which includes Immigration New Zealand.
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The conflict of interest matter in the contract Mai Malaulau had as the Establishment Director of the Pacific Division was the subject of an independent external investigation undertaken by Mr Peter Chemis of Buddle Findlay in 2005.
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The Department of Labours new Chief Adviser on workplace health and safety, David Tregoweth, brings to the role a rich understanding of the health and safety issues facing New Zealand workplaces.
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Far too many scaffolding sites are failing safety inspections, Department of Labour Manukau Service Manager Craig White says.
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The Department of Labour is undertaking a wide-ranging and comprehensive review of the Pacific Division within the Work Force group.
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CANTERBURY — The builders of New Zealand's biggest purpose-built town, Pegasus Town in north Canterbury, are paving the way as role models in health and safety practices, the Department of Labour says.
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The resignation of the Deputy Secretary Workforce, Mary Anne Thompson, has been announced by the Chief Executive of the Department of Labour, Christopher Blake.
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Inspections of construction site scaffolding in Auckland and Northland over the past two and a half months have found many sites failed to meet safety standards, the Department of Labour said today.
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TAURANGA — The $20,000 sentence handed down to a Kiwifruit orchardist after a worker broke both legs should highlight to the horticulture industry that they should not allow employees to ride on trailers, the Department of Labour says.Â
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WELLINGTON — The Department of Labour, Kapiti Miniature Railway Club and Kapiti Coast District Council met yesterday to discuss the future of the Kapiti miniature railway at Raumati Gardens.
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TARANAKI — Former and current timber workers with historical exposure to a toxic timber treatment known as pentachlorophenol (PCP) are advised to talk to their doctor about any health concerns, the Department of Labour said today.
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BALCLUTHA — The Department of Labour says the court decision yesterday ordering an employer to pay $90,000 for failing to ensure its employees weren't exposed to hazards sends a clear message to industry.
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GORE — The Department of Labour has told the Gore District Council to improve the way it deals with workplace stress amongst its staff.
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The New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is a treaty between New Zealand and China that liberalises and facilitates trade in goods and services, improves the business environment and promotes cooperation between the two countries in a broad range of economic areas.Â
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