6 July 1999 Indigenous Peoples' Employment Goes Under Conference Microscope

The disadvantageous employment position occupied by many indigenous peoples will be addressed for the first time at international conference level when the 7th Annual Conference of the International Employment Relations Association meets in Christchurch over 13-16 July.

Hosted by Lincoln University, the conference will open with a panel discussion on Employment Relations and Indigenous Peoples and Jan West, General Manager of the Office of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, will be the lead speaker.

"The conference is believed to be the first anywhere focusing on indigenous peoples and employment relations," says convenor Dr Rupert Tipples, Senior Lecturer in Employment Relations at Lincoln University.

"Unfortunately indigenous peoples are often too well represented in the unemployment queues and the conference will focus on what can be done about this. The experience of Maori and unemployment in New Zealand is fairly typical of indigenous peoples everywhere."

As a representative of the tangata whenua, lead speaker Jan West will explain how Ngai Tahu values differ from what may be called 'normal' corporate values. Ngai Tahu see themselves as stewards – kaitiaki – of their resources for future generations.

"Just as leading cereals manufacturer Dick Hubbard has argued for business to exhibit social responsibility and not be solely concerned with maximising short-term profits, so Ngai Tahu focus on manaakitaka – looking after people – and whanaukataka, family. These promote the building of lasting relationships, mutual respect and support, and honest communication, while being concerned for future generations and the long term.

"All these are worthy ideals for employment relationships," says Dr Tipples.

The conference is entitled ‘Global Trends and Local issues’ and Dr Tipples says the indigenous employment theme was chosen by the association's executive committee in November last year.

It's a theme which carries through from the opening panel discussion into many of the papers being presented by conference participants. Two New Zealand papers, for example, will focus on the effects of Ngai Tahu values on selecting senior managers for Ngai Tahu corporations, and the effects of stress on Maori lawyers. Australian papers will include an analysis of indigenous employment disadvantages, training indigenous workers for the retail sector and managing a diverse workforce. Other indigenous papers include the employment relations of aboriginal peoples in Taiwan.

The conference venue is the Copthorne Hotel, Durham Street. Tuesday 13 July is registration day, with a powhiri and opening address by Lincoln University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Roger Field. The panel discussion on employment relations and indigenous peoples is on Wednesday 14 July and single-day registration is possible.

The last three annual conferences of the association have been held in Australia.

For further information the contacts are Dr Rupert Tipples or Helen Shrewsbury at Lincoln University or you can visit the conference website at http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/cte/d/era/

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand