22. (1) The Board shall—

(a) after consultation with the Director General, and

(b) not later than one month before the 1st day of January each year,

prepare and submit to the Minister a plan (in this section referred to as a “work programme”) of the work that the Commission intends to carry out in the year to which the plan relates.

(2) The Minister may issue directions to the Board in relation to the preparation of a work programme.

(3) The Minister may—

(a) upon the recommendation of the Director General, or

(b) for the purpose of improving workplace relations generally or in workplaces of a particular class or classes,

direct the Board to prepare and submit to him or her a revised work programme.

(4) The Minister shall, as soon as practicable after a work programme or revised work programme has been submitted to him or her under subsection (1), or pursuant to a direction under subsection (3) or this subsection—

(a) approve the work programme or revised work programme,

(b) approve the work programme or revised work programme subject to such modifications as he or she may specify, or

(c) refuse to approve the work programme or revised work programme and, by direction in writing, require the Board to prepare and submit a revised work programme to the Minister by such date as may be specified in the direction.

(5) The Board shall comply with a direction under this section by such date as may be specified in the direction.

(6) Each work programme (other than the work programme first prepared and submitted after the commencement of this section) shall contain a review of the implementation and effectiveness of the work programme in respect of the year immediately preceding the first-mentioned work programme.

(7) The Board shall, in the preparation of a work programme, have regard to—

(a) the strategy statement approved under section 21 of the Commission applicable in respect of the year to which the work programme relates, and

(b) such other matters (if any) as are specified in a direction under subsection (2).