Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Labour Disputes
LRC chief executive says it's 'overwhelmed' at workload
Referrals are up in the first six months and the service can’t cope.
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of the Labour Relations Commission says the service cannot cope with the number of referrals it’s getting.
Kieran Mulvey told a conference in UCD that the service had received 47,500 referrals in the last five years, but almost 8,500 in the first six months of 2010 alone.
He attributed the rise in referrals to cutbacks caused by the recession and problems with employment legislation.
Mulvey said that workers were using provisions of acts like the Payment of Wages Act to try and protect their pay.
The comments came as Labour Affairs minister Dara Calleary said he was keen to introduce a new centralised entry point for workers looking for arbitration on employment disputes.
Calleary urged employers and trade unions alike to show flexibility when it came to employees’ wages during times of economic hardship.
have your say