Private sector survey in Vanuatu
The largest ever private sector survey of business in Port Vila has been completed by the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). The ILO has supported VCCI with this project and will continue to do so as a position paper is developed by the VCCI Advocacy Team reflecting members' views for use in Government discussions and lobbying.
The Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has just completed the largest ever private sector survey of business in Port Vila. The data will be analysed and the results discussed at a Business Forum to be held in Port Vila in March 2013. The ILO has been supporting VCCI with this project and will continue to do so as a position paper is developed by the VCCI Advocacy Team reflecting members' views for use in Government discussions and lobbying.
The Vanuatu Government through the Department of Labour, has with ILO technical assistance begun a Labour Law Reform exercise. The key first step nearing completion is a new Employee Relations Bill. Other new bills including OHS, Workers Compensation and Labour Migration are set to follow.
The demands and expectations arising from these new Bills plus dissatisfaction with elements of how VCCI has been ill-prepared in the past to quickly respond to employment policy changes has lead to the VCCI Council establishing a division which is called the Vanuatu Employer Organisation (VEO) within VCCI to focus on these matters - Joe Massing is the head of this VEO Division.
The VEO establishment has been supported by both the ILO and an Australian Business Volunteer. The VEO will also be the day to day support structure for the Employer members of new Tripartite Labour Advisory Council (TLAC), the first concrete result of the new structures for Labour Law and Policy review.
To effectively advocate and lobby on behalf of Employers it is critical that VCCI and VEO know the Employers views and priorities. VCCI wanted to be better linked to its members and to ensure it was delivering the services and accurately representing the views its members. Thus the ILO project and survey was born.
The two key and sometimes contentious sectors in Port Vila are the Hospitality and Retails sectors. It was thus decided to focus on these areas in depth. While a local consulting firm, ACE Consulting, has provided a range of technical assistance VCCI saw great advantage in its staff actually doing the face to face survey work. In total over 150 surveys were completed, with very low numbers of refusals (in large part because of the personalised VCCI staff contact and survey guidance). While this number may seem small it is estimated to represents about 70% or more of the total economic Vanuatu activity in these two sectors.
Detailed responses were sought on opinions of current employment law, some of the options which the VEO might seek in the new law, priorities for Government action and VCCI services and the factors influencing their growth and employment growth. VCCI is not aware of any similar large scale private sector survey being carried out in Vanuatu before.
Joe Massing the head of VEO is looking forward to using the data gathered from this survey to underpin a newly invigorated advocacy and lobby push from VEO and the broader Chamber. The final stage of the ILO project will further use the Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprise tool kit to guide Joe and the VEO as it develops this new policy and lobbying push.
The Vanuatu Government through the Department of Labour, has with ILO technical assistance begun a Labour Law Reform exercise. The key first step nearing completion is a new Employee Relations Bill. Other new bills including OHS, Workers Compensation and Labour Migration are set to follow.
The demands and expectations arising from these new Bills plus dissatisfaction with elements of how VCCI has been ill-prepared in the past to quickly respond to employment policy changes has lead to the VCCI Council establishing a division which is called the Vanuatu Employer Organisation (VEO) within VCCI to focus on these matters - Joe Massing is the head of this VEO Division.
The VEO establishment has been supported by both the ILO and an Australian Business Volunteer. The VEO will also be the day to day support structure for the Employer members of new Tripartite Labour Advisory Council (TLAC), the first concrete result of the new structures for Labour Law and Policy review.
To effectively advocate and lobby on behalf of Employers it is critical that VCCI and VEO know the Employers views and priorities. VCCI wanted to be better linked to its members and to ensure it was delivering the services and accurately representing the views its members. Thus the ILO project and survey was born.
The two key and sometimes contentious sectors in Port Vila are the Hospitality and Retails sectors. It was thus decided to focus on these areas in depth. While a local consulting firm, ACE Consulting, has provided a range of technical assistance VCCI saw great advantage in its staff actually doing the face to face survey work. In total over 150 surveys were completed, with very low numbers of refusals (in large part because of the personalised VCCI staff contact and survey guidance). While this number may seem small it is estimated to represents about 70% or more of the total economic Vanuatu activity in these two sectors.
Detailed responses were sought on opinions of current employment law, some of the options which the VEO might seek in the new law, priorities for Government action and VCCI services and the factors influencing their growth and employment growth. VCCI is not aware of any similar large scale private sector survey being carried out in Vanuatu before.
Joe Massing the head of VEO is looking forward to using the data gathered from this survey to underpin a newly invigorated advocacy and lobby push from VEO and the broader Chamber. The final stage of the ILO project will further use the Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprise tool kit to guide Joe and the VEO as it develops this new policy and lobbying push.