Contract breaches almost half of Labour Court cases

NEARLY half of cases referred to the Labour Court last year related to alleged breaches by employers of agreements made with their employees, according to its annual reports.

Forty-three per cent of the court’s work was accounted for by these alleged breaches of registered agreements.

Just six years ago, these breaches made up just 1% of referrals.

The Labour Court said the surge in referrals is due to greater vigilance by unions.

However, overall last year was a quiet year for the court — a fact that highlights the country’s stable business climate.

The number of industrial disputes referred to the Labour Court last year dropped by 2%. Fewer days were also lost due to walk-outs and strikes than in any other year since statistics were first compiled in the 1920s.

Minister for Labour Affairs Billy Kelleher praised officials for their role in resolving disputes.

“I look forward to the continuation of the valuable work of the court which has contributed greatly to our current stable industrial climate,” he said.

Chairman of the Labour Court Kevin Duffy said these disputes presented a particular challenge for officials due to the large volume and that new procedures were being put in place to deal with them more efficiently.

The bulk of the court’s work still stems from industrial relations law and mainly involves disputes between employers and trade unions over workplace issues, with about 90% of them resolved on the basis of the court’s recommendations.

Full details from the Labour Court’s annual report for 2006 will be released later today.