New industrial relations system in effect from today

A new industrial relations system comes into effect today.

The five bodies responsible for dealing with disputes in the workplace will be merged into two organisations, aimed at providing a better service for both employers and workers at a lower cost to the State.

The Workplace Relations Commission will incorporate the functions of the machinery of industrial relations including the Labour Relations Commission, the National Employment Rights Authority and the Equality Tribunal.

From today, the new WRC and Labour Court will take on the work of the five existing bodies - a move which will see the cost to the State brought down by 10%.

UPDATE (11.20am): Minister Richard Bruton says the old system was "haphazard" and led to backlogs.

He said that the new mechanism will give employees more confidentiality and a quicker resolution.

"A lot of these issues are sensitive issues and people want their business to be held and dealt with confidentially," he said.

"It also hastens better mediated possibilities of solution, early resolution and other approaches that are at the heart of a system that works well for users, that is swift and deals with issues effectively."