| Insignia: | Coat of Arms of New South Wales.svg |
| Post: | Minister for Industrial Relations |
| Incumbent: | Sophie Cotsis |
| Incumbentsince: | 5 April 2023 |
| Style: | The Honourable |
| Appointer: | Governor of New South Wales |
| Nominator: | Premier of New South Wales |
| Department: | Department of Premier and Cabinet and New South Wales Treasury |
| Formation: | 11 March 1895 |
The Minister for Industrial Relations is a Minister of the Crown in the Government of New South Wales who has responsibilities for matters relating to industrial and labour laws and regulation in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The portfolio was established in 1895 in the Reid ministry and titled Minister for Labour and Industry, held in conjunction with the Minister of Public Instruction. The minister is responsible for assisting the Premier and the Treasurer in the administration of their respective clusters.[1]
Ultimately the Minister is responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.
The 1890s in New South Wales were a period of depression, with soaring unemployment and poverty, accompanied by industrial disputes and strikes, such as the bitter and prolonged 1890 Australian maritime dispute, the 1891 and 1894 shearers' strikes and the 1892 Broken Hill miners' strike.The Government Labour Bureau was established in February 1892 in response to the soaring unemployment and poverty brought on by the depression, with its principal tasks being in finding work for the unemployed and assisting families.[2] There was also a legislative response, such as Trade Disputes Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1892, Apprentices Act 1894, and the Factories and Shops Act 1896.
The portfolio was established to be responsible for industrial registration, safety in the workplace, and the labour exchange, including the Government Labour Bureau.[3]
Industrial relations in NSW was affected by the WorkChoices legislation and the Fair Work Act, which saw the Commonwealth assume responsibility for private sector employment matters. In 2017 Industrial Relations came within The Treasury and the portfolio was abolished in 2019 and merged into the portfolio of Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts. At the time of its abolition, the minister was Dominic Perrottet, who was also the Treasurer, since 30 January 2017.[4]
The ministry was reestablished in December 2021.
| Minister | Party | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 March 1895 | 15 August 1898 | align=right | ||||||
| 27 August 1898 | 13 September 1899 | align=right | ||||||
| 14 September 1899 | 27 March 1901 | |||||||
| 28 March 1901 | 14 June 1904 | |||||||
| 17 June 1904 | 29 August 1904 | align=right | ||||||
| 29 August 1904 | 13 May 1907 | align=right | ||||||
| 14 May 1907 | 1 October 1907 | align=right | ||||||
| 2 October 1907 | 21 January 1908 | align=right | ||||||
| 22 January 1908 | 20 October 1910 | align=right | ||||||
| 21 October 1910 | 10 September 1911 | align=right | ||||||
| 11 September 1911 | 26 November 1911 | align=right | ||||||
| 27 November 1911 | 9 December 1912 | align=right | ||||||
| 10 December 1912 | 29 June 1913 | align=right | ||||||
| 30 June 1913 | 29 January 1914 | align=right | ||||||
| 29 January 1914 | 31 October 1916 | align=right | ||||||
| 31 October 1916 | 15 November 1916 | align=right | ||||||
| 15 November 1916 | 23 July 1919 | align=right | ||||||
| 23 July 1919 | 12 April 1920 | align=right | ||||||
| 12 April 1920 | 10 October 1921 | align=right | ||||||
| Minister for Labour | 10 October 1921 | 20 December 1921 | align=right | |||||
| 20 December 1921 | 20 December 1921 | 7 hours | ||||||
| Minister for Labour | 20 December 1921 | 13 April 1922 | align=right | |||||
| 13 April 1922 | 17 June 1925 | align=right | ||||||
| 17 June 1925 | 18 October 1927 | align=right | ||||||
| 18 October 1927 | 3 November 1930 | align=right | ||||||
| 4 November 1930 | 15 October 1931 | align=right | ||||||
| 15 October 1931 | 13 May 1932 | align=right | ||||||
| 16 May 1932 | 26 May 1938 | align=right | ||||||
| 1 June 1938 | 13 October 1938 | align=right | ||||||
| 13 October 1938 | 16 June 1939 | align=right | ||||||
| 26 June 1939 | 5 August 1939 | |||||||
| 5 August 1939 | 16 August 1939 | |||||||
| 16 August 1939 | 16 May 1941 | align=right | ||||||
| 16 May 1941 | 6 February 1947 | |||||||
| 6 February 1947 | 29 October 1947 | |||||||
| 29 October 1947 | 9 March 1948 | align=right | ||||||
| 9 March 1948 | 30 June 1950 | |||||||
| 30 June 1950 | 23 February 1953 | |||||||
| 23 February 1953 | 15 March 1956 | align=right | ||||||
| 15 March 1956 | 13 May 1965 | align=right | ||||||
| 13 May 1965 | 11 March 1971 | align=right | ||||||
| 11 March 1971 | 14 May 1976 | align=right | ||||||
| Minister for Industrial Relations | 14 May 1976 | 9 August 1976 | align=right | |||||
| 9 August 1976 | 4 July 1986 | |||||||
| 4 July 1986 | 21 March 1988 | |||||||
| 25 March 1988 | 24 July 1990 | |||||||
| 24 July 1990 | 3 July 1992 | |||||||
| Minister for Industrial Relations | 3 July 1992 | 26 May 1993 | align=right | |||||
| 26 May 1993 | 4 April 1995 | align=right | ||||||
| Minister for Industrial Relations | 4 April 1995 | 28 June 2000 | ||||||
| 28 June 2000 | 13 June 2008 | |||||||
| 13 June 2008 | 8 September 2008 | |||||||
| 8 September 2008 | 11 September 2008 | |||||||
| 11 September 2008 | 8 December 2009 | |||||||
| 8 December 2009 | 21 May 2010 | |||||||
| 21 May 2010 | 28 March 2011 | |||||||
| Minister for Industrial Relations | 12 September 2012 | 17 April 2014 | ||||||
| 23 April 2014 | 7 May 2014 | |||||||
| 7 May 2014 | 2 April 2015 | |||||||
| 2 April 2015 | 30 January 2017 | |||||||
| 30 January 2017 | 23 March 2019 | [5] | ||||||
| Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts | 2 April 2019 | 15 April 2020 | align=right | [6] | ||||
(acting) | 15 April 2020 | 3 July 2020 | align=right | [7] [8] | ||||
| 3 July 2020 | 21 December 2021 | align=right | [9] | |||||
| Minister for Employee Relations | 21 December 2021 | 23 February 2023 | align=right | |||||
| 23 February 2023 | 28 March 2023 | align=right | ||||||
| Minister for the Gig Economy | 28 March 2023 | 5 April 2023 | align=right | |||||
| Minister for Industrial Relations | 5 April 2023 | incumbent | align=right | |||||