LRC Annual Report 2008
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Labour Relations Commission Annual Report 2008 Labour Relations Commission Annual Report 2008 Presented to Dara Calleary, T.D., Minister for Labour Affairs in accordance with Section 27(3) of The Industrial Relations Act, 1990 Labour Relations Commission Commission Labour Relations Contents Annual Report 2008 Mission and Functions of the Labour Relations Commission 4 Members and Officers of the Commission 5 Chairman’s Statement 6 Chief Executive’s Report 8 Chapter 1 Developments in 2008 10 Chapter 2 The Commission’s Services in 2008 16 The Conciliation Services Division in 008 16 The Advisory Services Division in 008 The Rights Commissioner Service Division 8 Chapter 3 The Corporate Services Division in 2008 33 Administration Staffing 4 Appendices Labour Relations Commission – Organisational Structure 6 Financial Statements 008 41 Publications available from the Labour Relations Commission 55 4 Mission and Functions Annual Report 2008 Mission “To promote the development and improvement of Irish Labour Relations Commission Commission Labour Relations industrial relations policies, procedures and practices through the provision of appropriate, timely and effective services to employers, trade unions and employees.” The Commission carries out this mission by providing The Commission undertakes other activities of a the following specific services: developmental nature relating to the improvement • an industrial relations Conciliation Service of industrial relations practices including: • an industrial relations Advisory Service • the review and monitoring of developments in the area of industrial relations • a Rights Commissioner Service • the preparation, in consultation with the Social Partners, • a Workplace Mediation Service of codes of practice relevant to industrial relations • assistance to Joint Labour Committees and Joint • industrial relations research and publications Industrial Councils in the exercise of their functions • organisation of seminars and conferences on industrial relations and human resource management issues 5 Members and Officers Commission Labour Relations of the Commission Maurice Cashell Kieran Mulvey Annual Report 2008 Chairman Chief Executive Gerard Barry Peter Bunting Brendan McGinty Chief Executive, Asst. General Secretary, Director of Human HSE-Employers’ Agency Irish Congress of Resources and Industrial Trade Unions Relations, IBEC Peter McLoone Breege O’Donoghue Liam O’Rourke General Secretary, Director, Penneys/ Managing Director, IMPACT Primark Chivers Ireland Ltd. Internal Audit Committee Gerard Barry Peter Bunting Brendan McGinty Chair Senior Management Team The post of Director of Advisory Services was vacant Kieran Mulvey throughout Kevin Foley Tom Pomphrett Eddie Nolan Chief Executive 2008. The post Director of the Deputy Director Director of the Corporate Services was filled in Conciliation of the Conciliation Division and Secretary to the early 2009. Services Division Services Division Commission, also, Head of the Rights Commissioner Service Meetings of the Board/Senior Management Team The Board met on ten occasions in 008 to discuss and review the Commission’s strategy, budget, operational activities, and its business plan and to decide upon areas of Commission policy and corporate governance. The Senior Management Team, consisting of the Chief Executive, Directors/Deputy Director of Services attends Board meetings, and meets on a regular basis between meetings of the Board. 6 Chairman’s Statement Annual Report 2008 services and to the throughput of organisation. Moreover, organisational referrals. Less progress was made health should remain a priority. in 008 on another issue similarly Our practices and processes should identified in the 007 Report, that is, ensure that staff feel that they receive addressing the belief that recruitment adequate recognition, that they are Labour Relations Commission Commission Labour Relations of personnel is too narrowly based, involved in decisions about their work thus limiting the knowledge and skills and that the LRC places a high priority Maurice Cashell Chairman base available to the Commission. This on learning and development of its brings me to my primary conclusion: employees. one of the keys to the future success of An issue likely also to arise in the I am pleased to present the Annual the LRC will lie in how well it manages near future relates to the quality Report for 008 of the Labour Relations its staff and how effectively it can of governance of the LRC and Commission. It documents the widen its pool of talent and human its relationships with its parent activities of the Commission for last resources. Department, the Department of year, shows the budgetary allocation The LRC is a solutions-oriented Enterprise Trade and Employment. and includes the audited accounts. organisation serving Government, The multiplicity of agencies in the The Business Plan for 008 approved business, trades unions, workers employment relations area (including by the Board in January 008 was and consumers. Its ‘production line’ those charged with ensuring that delivered on time and within the is composed of its employees. These workers’ rights under statute are resources approved by the Minister are people who need to be skilled and properly vindicated) will be a factor and Parliament. knowledgeable, prompt and courteous in the debate following on the For a large part of 008 a great deal with service provision, impartial and Government Statement on of attention was on the gathering honest. They must be high performing Transforming Public Services. economic and fiscal storm. How the and customer focused. They must be The LRC would share the sentiment industrial relations environment might confident and have a sense of public expressed in that Statement of the unfold and how the LRC might best duty. Those qualities, which are present need to ensure that synergies are position itself to help the parties in abundance in the current cohort, achieved from the merger of agencies address the painful consequences will be taxed to the extreme as we where appropriate and and the use of economic downturn was never move into an uncertain future. The of shared services between them. far from Board concerns. past performance of an excellent staff The Department of Enterprise, Trade It remains very much the case that was not a spontaneous occurrence. It and Employment has engaged with the LRC will require on a continuing came about as a result of a conscious the LRC in a systematic dialogue on basis to develop, expand and improve and deliberate investment at all levels performance and how this can be on service delivery. Following on the in employee performance and in the improved, as part of its oversight assessment last year that access to development of skills and capabilities. responsibilities. In future, Boards some services and processes can To complement those capabilities, of all state bodies will need to be be seen as slow, considerable and there has been significant investment more explicit concerning objectives, genuine efforts were made by LRC in information and communication expectations, service levels, timescales management, the team of Rights technologies. Such management and performance targets. Boards Commissioners and their support and development of LRC staff must will need to focus on outputs and staff to streamline access to its continue, commencing with the outcomes and be realistic about recruitment strategy of the 7 Labour Relations Commission Commission Labour Relations what can be achieved with the Annual Report 2008 resources deployed. The LRC welcomes this focus on outcomes which marks a shift away from an over emphasis on compliance and input controls and a move towards what is achieved – or not achieved – with those resources. With my colleagues on the Board I express confidence that the commitment and capacity of the Chief Executive, Kieran Mulvey, his staff and the team of Rights Commissioners, will enable the LRC to meet the challenges ahead. I would like to thank the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Mary Coughlan, T.D., and the Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr Billy Kelleher T.D., for their continuing encouragement; and Secretary General, Seán Gorman, and his colleagues in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for their support during the year. Since this is my sixth and last year as Chairman of the Board, I take this opportunity to formally record my appreciation of the work of my fellow Board Members and my personal thanks for their unfailing assistance to me, their wisdom and commitment to public service, and their contribution to the success of the Commission. Maurice Cashell Chairman 8 Chief Executive’s Report Annual Report 2008 employees. These challenges go Of particular importance is the beyond the industrial relations approach that must be taken regarding environment but will have a central reform and the provision of public impact upon how those affected by services. We cannot continue simply them will respond to the level and to expand our public services or Labour Relations Commission Commission Labour Relations scope of a fall in living and earnings maintain them at current levels standards within the country. for the foreseeable future. We must Kieran Mulvey Chief Executive decide what services are necessary Of growing concern is the necessity and a priority and, therefore, what to retain a broad consensus on social is financially unsustainable. Core solidarity and the