29/05/2009

Labour Court Cases Rise 28%

Cases referred to the Labour Court increased by 28% last year, according to a report published today.

The Court's annual report revealed the increase in referrals was mainly due to a rise in the number of complaints alleging breaches of employment agreements by aggrieved staff.

The increase reflects the vast increase in unemployment in the last year associated with the spiralling decline of the Irish economy.

The Labour Court's caseload has been shifting with the economic crisis, with an increase in resolving industrial relations disputes and dealing with complaints of breaches of employment rights. These cases now account for a quarter of the cases referred to the Court.

Chairman of the Labour Court, Kevin Duffy, said cases alleging breaches of employment agreements have mainly been brought by workers in the construction and electrical industries.

Disputes related to issues including annual leave entitlements, sick pay and rest periods, more than doubled year-on-year, while referrals under equality legislation fell by 26%.

The Court received 1,179 referrals in 2008, compared with 924 the previous year.

Mr Duffy said most of the cases referred to the Labour Court this year dealt with redundancies and the restructuring of companies in financial difficulty.

(DW/BMcC)

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