Terms of Reference

• To undertake studies and projects as directed by CAALL
• To assess and advise on the impact of labour policies and programs;
• To identify, profile and undertake research in emerging issues in domestic labour policy, the workplace and the nature of work;
• To assess gaps and deficiencies in current domestic labour policy development;
• To identify and define and undertake research in areas which would assist departments of labour in their overall labour policy
• To review and consider regularly existing labour statistical practices, giving particular attention to the extent to which they meet current and developing needs of departments of labour, and initiating proposals to resolve problems of:
  • duplication of effort on the part of the staff of provincial departments of labour on the one hand, and the staff of federal agencies on the other hand;
  • duplication of demands on the public for statistical information;
  • inconsistent definitions;
  • overlapping industrial and geographical classifications;
  • modes of presentation;
  • survey dates frequencies;
  • time consumed in the collection and processing data.
• To assess gaps and deficiencies in current statistical series and formulate practical proposals in relation to them;
• To collaborate with other standing committees and undertake joint projects with them.

History

The CAALL Research and Policy Committee was formed in 2002 after the CAALL Executive agreed to expand the mandate of the CAALL Statistics and Research Committee to include the consideration of policy issues. The new terms of reference for the renamed Research and Policy Committee also included activities in the area of international labour affairs and trade-related labour cooperation agreements. In 2004, responsibility for activities related to international labour affairs, including labour cooperation agreements, was transferred to the new CAALL Committee on International Labour Affairs.

Summary of 2004-2005 Workplan

1. New Employment Relationships Project
   • Develop more detailed information about non-standard workers (own-account self-employed and temporary workers) in selected occupations,
   • Identify any disadvantages faced by non-standard workers in labour legislation and government programs and benefits, relative to standard workers,
   • Identify any differences in job and employment characteristics associated with non-standard work vs. standard employment (e.g. earnings, access to employer benefits, unemployment patterns), and
   • Assess the policy issues and implications arising from the analysis.
2. Labour Jurisdiction Information Exchange
   • Ongoing review of the LJIE, particularly with respect to relevance and usefulness of current categories of information.