Upsurge in third party industrial relations referrals

REFERRALS to third party industrial relations bodies went up by 30% between 2007 and 2008, according to the annual report of the Labour Court released yesterday.

The Labour Court, Labour Relations Commission, Rights Commissioner Service and Employment Appeals Tribunal between them heard 18,853 cases. The court itself examined 1,179 cases in 2008, 28% more than the 924 heard in 2007.

The Labour Court annual report said the main factor in the upsurge in cases referred to its inspectors was the increase in complaints of alleged breaches of registered employment agreements – standards in pay and conditions agreed by employers and unions and ratified through the third party process.

Court chairman Kevin Duffy said overall there had been a changed culture in the nature of cases being forwarded for consideration.

“From a situation where disputes coming to the court were, in the main, about sharing the fruits of success, over recent months they are more likely to be about influencing the effects of the economic downturn on workers and their employers,” he said.

Meanwhile, workers at Bord na Móna have voted 94% in favour of taking industrial action. The ballot was called as a result of, what the unions described as, the unilateral decision of company management to impose changes in terms and conditions for those involved in producing peat for power station supply.

The 400 workers affected, members of the Unite, TEEU and SIPTU trade unions, say the changes directly affect their pay.

They say there had been a system in place since 1991 of payment by performance for staff, many of whom are seasonal.

However, the unions now claim Bord na Móna wants to bring in an hourly rate of pay which workers are not happy with.

The union leaders will meet in the coming days to decide the form and date of the strike action. They said if management does not change its position notice of the action will be served within the next seven days.

“The Bord na Móna workers feel betrayed by the dismissal of a partnership ethos that has served both sides well over many years,” said Unite regional officer Frank Maunsell who chairs the group of unions. “They are angered by the way in which management has acted and have expressed a clear mandate to take whatever action is needed to make those feelings clearly known.”