Ministry of Commerce and Labor
The Kingdom of Sierra Ministry of Commerce and Labor is the Sierran ministerial department responsible for the administration of federal laws pertaining to, but not limited to, welfare, pensions and social security, occupational safety and health, employment and labor relations, wage and hour standards, unemployment and disability benefits, industrial standards and strategies, business practices and regulations, and consumer protection. It is also one of the chief ministries responsible for gathering data and publishing official statistics within the Kingdom of Sierra. It is the third largest governmental ministry in terms of employment and the second-largest in terms of expenditures. It is headed by the Minister of Commerce and Labor, who reports directly to the Prime Minister and Parliament and is a Cabinet member.
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| Ministry overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 5, 1881 |
| Jurisdiction | Kingdom of Sierra |
| Headquarters |
Robert Landon Building 320 West Temple St Porciúncula, Gold Coast, K.S. |
| Employees | 64,487 |
| Minister responsible | |
| Ministry executive |
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| Website | mcl.ks.gov |
The purpose of the ministry is to promote and foster nationwide standards to protect the Kingdom's workers and employees, and to promote sustainable economic growth for business and innovation. Its mission is to provide social welfare, administer retiree benefits, improve workplace conditions, support healthy employer-employee relations, protect workers' rights, and encourage corporate investment and competition. The current minister is Alice Nishikata. It has overlapping responsibilities and close cooperation with the Ministry of Finance (on business-related law and affairs) and the Ministry of Health and Human Services (on the administration of social welfare programs related to health care, employment benefits, and economic assistance).
The ministry's headquarters is housed in Robert Landon Building, named in honor of Prime Minister Robert Landon, an early architect of the Kingdom's present-day labor laws and regulations.
History
In 1881, the K.S. Parliament during the Calhoun ministry established the Ministry of Commerce and Labor through the Commerce and Labor Act, to provide an ombudsman agency and mediator for employer-worker relations. The ministry was created in response to growing national pressure and demand for stronger labor laws and workers' protections. Its scope was broadened to encompass both business and labor regulations in 1895 through the Commerce and Labor Regulatory Act, which gave the ministry oversight on laws governing business standards and conduct, as well as labor unions, collective bargaining, and worker organization. Through the Ministry's work, standards such as an eight-hour workday, a federal minimum wage, and child labor regulation were adopted federally and provincially.
In the 1930s, the Department of Social Security was placed under the administration of the Ministry of Commerce and Labor. Other independent agencies tasked with the Kingdom's social welfare programs and workers' benefits followed suit and became deputized under the Ministry. In 1942, the Royal Bureau of Census, previously an independent government agency, was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry.
During the 1970s, there were proposals in Parliament to split the Ministry of Commerce and Labor into two separate ministries, although this was never acted upon. Instead, the Ministry underwent an internal restructuring where it was split into three divisions: the Commerce Division, the Labor Division, and the Statistics Division, with each division headed by undersecretaries.
Agencies, bodies, and programs
Office of the Minister
- Office of the Chief Financial Officer
- Office of the Inspector General
- Office of Parliamentary Affairs
- Office of Public Affairs
- Office of Public Liaison
- Office of the Solicitor
Commerce Division
- Business and Industrial Standards Agency
- Consumer Protections Agency
- Department of Commercial and Maritime Affairs
- Department of Fraud Prevention
- Department of Intellectual Property Protection
- Department of International Trade and Investment
- Economic Development Agency
- Federal Telecommunications Board
- Office of Business Liaison
- Small Business Development Agency
Labor Division
- Department of Employee Benefits Security
- Department of Social Welfare and Pensions
- Department of Social Security
- Department of Unemployment and Disability
- Department of Wage and Hour Standards
- Department of Workers' Compensation
- Employment and Training Services Agency
- Labor Ombudsman
- Labor Relations Agency
- Occupational Safety and Health Office
- Office of Labor Liaison
Statistics Division
- Bureau of Commerce and Labor Statistics
- Federal Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency
- National Economic Statistics Agency
- Royal Bureau of Census
- Royal Climatology Agency
Devolution
Employment, health, and social security are not reserved matters of the K.S. federal government. Generally, any implied powers or reserved powers of PSAs, including any powers not exclusively reserved to Parliament are devolved to the three countries besides Federal Sierra.
Bajaría
In Bajaría, employment, health, and social security is the responsibility of the Department of Employment and Labor.
Deseret
In the Deseret, the country has parity with the Kingdom in all three areas: employment, health, and social security. The main counterparts to the Ministry are:
- the Department of Economic Development and Growth
- the Department of Labor Safety and Protections
- the Department of Social Security
- the Department of Welfare
Hawaii
In Hawaii, the main counterparts to the Ministry are:
- the Department of Enterprise and Trade
- the Department of Welfare and Labor (which includes social security)