Billy Kelleher
Question:137. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on a matter (details supplied). [27327/18]
View answerThursday, 21 June 2018
Questions (137)
Written answers
I understand that the dispute which the deputy is referring to relates to certain terms and conditions of employment, including that of pay and contractual security, which the trade union Mandate is seeking to negotiate with the company on behalf of its members.
At the outset, I would emphasise that Ireland’s system of industrial relations is, essentially, voluntary in nature and that responsibility for the resolution of industrial disputes between employers and workers rests in the first instance with the employer, the workers and their representatives.
For its part, the State provides the industrial relations dispute settlement mechanisms i.e. the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Labour Court to support parties in their efforts to resolve their differences. The WRC and the Labour Court are independent statutory bodies and conduct their quasi-judicial functions independently and as Minister, I have no role in this regard.
As the deputy points out, this dispute was before the Labour Court earlier this year and in April, the Labour Court issued a recommendation urging the parties to engage with each other in order to seek agreement in relation to the matters at issue. In its recommendation, the Labour Court indicated also that if, following such engagement, matters remained unresolved, the parties should avail of the services of the Workplace Relations Commission and the Court in furthering efforts to secure resolution.
As Minister, I would encourage both parties to engage constructively with each other on the issues in dispute and to avail of the services of the WRC and the Labour Court which stand ready to assist in the resolution of disputes to reach a resolution by agreement. This will lead to a positive outcome for the company, its employees and the customers that it serves.