Given a changed industrial relations context in Ireland (IE0406203F [1]) - including the proliferation of non-union employment and new employment relations practices - a growing number of observers believe that the existing dispute-resolution system needs updating, and 'alternative dispute
The phenomenon of undeclared work - defined as 'any paid activities that are lawful as regards their nature but not declared to the public authorities'- is an issue which has been preoccupying the EU institutions for a number of years. In 1998, the European Commission issued a Communication [1] on
On 19 July 2004, the Equality Act 2004 was signed into law, after being passed by parliament (the Dail), and came into operation with effect from that date. The Act seeks to transpose three EU Directives (IE0109101F [1]): Directive 2000/43/EC [2] implementing the principle of equal treatment between
In March 2004, the EIRO national centres in 24 European countries were asked, in response to a questionnaire, to give a brief overview of their country's system for dealing with individual labour/employment disputes through the courts, along with data on: the volume of cases; the costs; the
There is growing interest among industrial relations practitioners in Ireland in new ways of preventing and resolving labour disputes, the perception being that the existing system is not equipped to deal with the challenge of a new industrial relations environment (IE0402203F [1]). [1] www
Unusually for Ireland's six national wage agreements to date, the pay element of the current deal, Sustaining Progress [1] (SP), was divided into two 18-month stages, as a result of uncertainty when it was negotiated in 2003 (IE0301209F [2] and IE0304201N [3]). Stage one of the pay element of SP
The current government is a coalition between the majority centrist Fianna Fail party and the small right-of-centre Progressive Democrats (PDs). This coalition government has been in power since June 1997, and was re-elected at a general election in May 2002
In response to current industrial unrest in semi-state firms, such as An Post (postal services) and CIE (transport) (IE0403202F [1]), the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) - the largest employer representative body in Ireland - called in April 2004 for codes of practice on disputes
In early 2004, there has been significant conflict at the state-owned airport company, Aer Rianta, and national rail and bus company, CIE, related to trade union resistance to proposals by the Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan, aimed at restructuring the two organisations. In the case of Aer
The decline in collective bargaining coverage and trade union organisation in Ireland (IE0102164F [1]), and the growth of individual employment rights, has led to a significant increase in individual employees pursuing legal claims - which is placing substantial pressure on existing dispute