16/07/2024

LABOUR RELATIONS AGENCY ANNUAL REPORT (July 2024)

The Labour Relations Agency has recently published its Annual Report and Accounts 2023/2024

Gordon Milligan, the Chair of the Board stated is his Foreword that the Agency has finally realised its longstanding vision, which is:

‘to be widely recognized As Northern Ireland’s leading authority in promoting productive working relationships for the benefit of individuals and organizations to support the creation of a thriving and inclusive economy.’

The report, which covers performance, governance and accounting issues, states that the Agency has become thought leader and has conducted research in areas including:

• Cost of Conflict
• Building a Business Case for Good jobs

The Agency has also held a number of events such as “Flexible Futures’ and ’10X Reasons (and more) for Good Employment Relations Conference.’

The report highlights how the Agency has been stretched in terms of capacity. Staff have been dealing with increased number of Collective Conciliations (in effort to avoid or stop strikes).  The huge number of Tribunal Claims for Holiday Pay and Pension claims (of which there are thousands in the Tribunal) have also absorbed their capacity.

Looking at its future, the Agency is continuing to work on a Good Employment Charter and developing a New Code of Practice on Collective Bargaining, the latter of which will take into account the Minister’s proposals to strengthen the trade unions.

Some of the work conducted by the Agency has also been at a Sectoral level and again this will feed into the Minister’s Economic Vision about gathering evidence to consider the introduction of Collective Sectoral Bargaining.

The above is very much a high-level summary of the report. The Agency however does a tremendous amount of other work which is set out in more detail in its publication, and it is fair to say punches well above its weight for its modest size and resource.

To fully appreciate the extent of the LRA’s role in promoting good employment relations in Northern Ireland, we recommend that you read the report in full.