New EU states could claim jobs

IT is a measure of the importance of the Labour Relations Commission that while it had to adjudicate in 1,693 new disputes last year, it recorded the lowest number of strike days lost since 1970.

On the down side, however, so many disputes are hitting the public service the LRC is creating a special division because so much time is absorbed by this sector.

Overall, the public service now accounts for around a third of disputes. But they are so complex that half of its resources are swallowed sorting them out.