Statement by the Chief Executive at the Launch by Minister for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary T.D., of the Commission’s Report for 2008 for release 12.00p.m. Wednesday 28th October 2009

LRC calls for Binding Arbitration where necessary 

• The Labour Relations Commission today called for a robust commitment to negotiation and decision, through voluntary binding arbitration if necessary, in meeting the challenges faced by Irish employments at this time.
• “Central to achieving change is the structure for engagement in workplaces” said Kieran Mulvey, Chief Executive speaking at the publication of the Commission’s 2008 Annual Report. “and all committed parties must recognise the need for agility in delivering timely change, and to consider the value of voluntary binding arbitration as a mechanism to effect agreement when required”
• Mr Mulvey went on to state that the only way for Irish employments to face up to current and future competitive challenges is for all parties in Irish employments to work together to achieve mutually satisfactory outcomes. “The Public Sector in particular, has no choice but to build on the goodwill that exists to find better ways of working which delivers high quality services at a time when the resources to fund public services are severely curtailed.” said Mr Mulvey. The challenge for the public service is to eliminate inefficiencies, create more flexible ways of delivering services and eradicate the duplication of costs.
• “The Irish economy is under severe pressure and Government, workers and employers are facing new and severe challenges” said Mr Mulvey. He went on to state that referrals to the Conciliation Service of the Commission in the first
  nine months of 2009 dealing with pay restructuring and redundancy related disputes grew by over 100% by comparison with the same period in 2008. (1,300 separate disputes to end September 2009).
  
• “Irish competitiveness must be restored through a combination of more efficient work practices, better product cost analysis, in-company training and investment in infrastructure and Research and Development”, he said.
• The Commission’s Annual Report confirmed that only 12 strikes were recorded in the Irish economy in 2008. In addition the report confirmed that referrals to the Rights Commissioner Service of the Commission grew by a record 21% in 2008 to 11,000. Referrals to September 2009 had reached already over 10,000.
• The Advisory Service had also a busy year with involvement in 75 different workplace interventions from In-company I.R. audits, to Mediation and Training. Also its activities under the LRC Research Strategy, 2006-2008, involved a significant level of research/information activity and publications. The LRC part-funded four major pieces of research which have now been published – Managing Workplace Conflict in Ireland, Human Resource Practices in Multinational Companies in Ireland, Managing HR in Multinational Companies in Ireland and Codes of Practice in Employment. The bi-annual LRC Symposium in June 2008 focused on the outcomes of the research undertaken in Multinational Companies.
• Mr Mulvey, stated that whereas, it appeared that the current challenges facing the Social Partners seemed difficult to resolve, imaginative and courageous steps and sacrifices could be made by all sectors in a medium two to three year plan to address and agree major cost and reform issues in all sectors of the economy.
• The Commission, he said, is a high “value for money” client orientated public service organisation and despite a reduction of 11 staff over the last two years it was working at levels higher than ever recorded in its 18 year history. It has made a significant contribution to industrial peace, operational/cost efficiencies and competitiveness in the Irish Economy and the vindication of employment rights.

Download 2008 Annual Report

Kieran Mulvey
Chief Executive