Melanesia
Vanuatu
Vanuatu is PIoWR’s planned next harbour, after Fiji. PIoWR has no office in Vanuatu.
One of the largest Pacific suppliers to RSE and PALM; remittances and circular migration sit at the centre of many communities.
Legal setup
Vanuatu's Employment Act (Cap. 160) and Trade Unions Act (Cap. 161) are the core statutes. The Department of Labour and Employment Services (Ministry of Internal Affairs), headed by the Commissioner of Labour, administers employment standards, industrial relations, OSH, work permits and temporary labour movement (RSE/PALM). A Labour Advisory Board / Tripartite Labour Advisory Council supports social dialogue. Employment Relations Bill reform work has sought to consolidate and update legislation with ILO support.
Key instruments
Employment Act (Cap. 160)
Contracts, wages, hours, OSH, severance, labour officers
Trade Unions Act (Cap. 161)
Formation, registration and regulation of trade unions
Department of Labour temporary labour movement mandate (RSE/PALM)
Key administrative arena for seasonal workers
ILO DWCP / Employment Relations Bill reform track
Modernisation toward consolidated employment relations law
Union formation
Persons on a union's committee of management may apply to the Registrar of Trade Unions for registration under Cap. 161; a certificate of registration follows if statutory conditions are met. Affiliation to outside bodies has historically required ministerial consent under older provisions. The Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions (VCTU) is the recognised workers' social partner.
Union landscape
VCTU is the national centre and ILO social partner alongside the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Vanuatu has been among the largest RSE/PALM senders; agent-based recruitment and offshore welfare problems have repeatedly surfaced in media and government inquiries. Coverage of seasonal, domestic and informal workers remains uneven despite ILO engagement to strengthen workers' voice.
Strengths
- Clear Trade Unions Act and Employment Act framework
- VCTU as recognised tripartite social partner
- Department of Labour active on RSE/PALM administration
- Sustained ILO technical support on law reform and DWCP
- High labour-mobility experience stock for worker-rights advocacy
Gaps
- Seasonal workers often outside strong union representation
- Agent practices and recruitment costs problematic
- Domestic/informal household work weakly organised
- Fisheries/coastal labour voice limited
- Employment Relations Bill consolidation still a reform agenda
Notable unions
Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions (VCTU)
National centre and ILO social partner
Affiliated sector unions under VCTU
Formal-sector coverage base
News & updates
NewsDevpolicy Blog · 2024-07
Fiji replaces Vanuatu as top PALM sending country
Vanuatu remains a top sender though overtaken by Fiji in mid-2024 rankings.
ReportWorld Bank · 2024
Vanuatu's Labor Migration: Challenges and Opportunities
World Bank analysis of Vanuatu labour-migration challenges and policy options.
NewsThe Guardian · 2022-02
Vanuatu government launches inquiry into labour schemes
Government inquiry after worker testimony on Australian seasonal-scheme conditions.
NewsABC News · 2020-11
Vanuatu High Commissioner investigates pay and welfare issues
Diplomatic investigation of substantial pay and welfare issues for ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers.
NewsSydney Morning Herald · 2017-03
Slavery claims as seasonal workers from Vanuatu paid nothing for months
Earlier high-profile underpayment case involving ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers.
GovernmentVanuatu Department of Labour · 2024
Department of Labour and Employment Services — mandate overview
Official outline of labour legislation enforcement, industrial relations and RSE/SWP services.
Relevant reports
World Bank2024
Vanuatu's Labor Migration: Challenges and Opportunities
Current labour-migration diagnostic for the largest historic RSE/PALM Melanesian sender.
ILO2009
Vanuatu Decent Work Country Programme 2009–2012
Foundational DWCP naming VCTU and law-reform priorities.
World Bank2008
Who Is Coming from Vanuatu to New Zealand under the RSE Program?
Classic RSE selection study for ni-Vanuatu workers.
World Bank2023
Pacific Labor Mobility Survey 2021–2023
Household survey evidence on Pacific labour mobility including Vanuatu.
Government of Vanuatu1983
Trade Unions Act (Cap. 161) — Vanuatu
Primary union-registration statute text.
ILO2015
Final report — Supporting definition and extension of a social protection floor in Vanuatu
Social-protection floor work linked to informal and vulnerable workers.