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Joint Industrial Councils The 1946 Act provided for the registration by the Labour Court as "qualified" joint industrial councils of bodies, representative of workers and employers which sought harmonious relations and had rules providing that a strike or lock-out would not take place before a dispute had been considered by the body concerned. The Court was empowered to appoint, on request, a Chairman and a secretary to a registered Council. The Act imposes three conditions for registration of a Joint Industrial Council. The Council must be substantially representative of the workers affected and of their employers and its object must be the formation of harmonious relations between those it represents. The rules must provide that if a trade dispute arises, a strike or lock-out will not be undertaken until the dispute has been referred to the Council and considered by it. Three such Councils were registered, in 1948, 1964 and 1965, and still exist though two (Construction and Footwear) have been suspended since 1982 and 1983, respectively, and the third (Dublin Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Trade) has not met for many years. Previous to their suspension, the Construction and Footwear Councils were actively involved in negotiations on pay and conditions in their industries. There are also eleven Joint Industrial Councils which have not sought registration. They are chaired by Industrial Relations Officers of the L.R.C. and an officer of the Labour Court acts as their secretary. A "Qualified Joint Industrial Council" is defined in the Industrial Relations Act, 1946 as an association of persons which complies with the following conditions:- 1. that it is substantially representative of workers of a particular class, type or group and their employers; 2. that its object is the promotion of harmonious relations between such employers and such workers; 3. that its rules provide that if a trade dispute arises between such workers and their employers, a lock-out or strike will not be undertaken in support of the dispute until the dispute has been referred to the association and considered by it. A body which fulfils these conditions may apply to the Labour Court for registration as a Joint Industrial Council and the Court, if satisfied, will place it on the Register of Joint Industrial Councils Apart from Registered Joint Industrial Councils, there are a number of others which have not applied for registration. The Labour Court facilitates the Councils - both registered and unregistered - by making available an officer of the Court to act as secretary at their meetings. The meetings are chaired by Industrial Relations Officers of the Labour Relations Commission.
Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) are bodies established under the Industrial Relations Act, 1946 to provide machinery for fixing statutory minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment. They may be set up by the Labour Court on the application of (i) the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, or (ii) a trade union, or (iii) any organisation claiming to be representative of the workers or the employers involved. A JLC is made up of equal numbers of employer and worker representative appointed by the Labour Court and a chairman and substitute chairman appointed by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. JLCs operate in areas where collective bargaining is not well established and wages tend to be low. The function of a JLC is to draw up proposals for fixing minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment for the workers involved. When proposals submitted by a JLC are confirmed by the Labour Court in the form of an Employment Regulation Order, they become the statutory minimum pay and conditions of employment for the workers concerned. Employers are then bound under penalty to pay wage rates and provide conditions of employment not less favourable than those prescribed. An employer of workers to whom Employment Regulation Order applies must keep records of wages, payments etc., and must retain these records for three years. The employer must also post up a prescribed notice in the place of employment setting out particulars of the statutory rates of pay and conditions of employment. Employment Regulation Orders are enforced by the Labour Inspectors of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. These inspectors have power to enter premises, inspect wage sheets and other records, interview the employers and workers concerned, recover arrears and, if necessary, take legal proceedings against an employer who is in breach of an ERO. There are sixteen Joint Labour Committees covering the following activities: Aerated Waters and Wholesale Bottling [Permanent Link] |
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Industrial Relations Officers of the Commission act as chairpersons to a number of Joint Industrial Councils and Joint Labour Committees. From time to time they also chair joint working groups of unions and management in various employments. Requests for the services of an Industrial Relations Officer to preside at meetings of this nature should be referred to the Chief Executive.