The level of industrial disputes is rising, but the number of days being lost to strike action is falling, according to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
Maurice Cashell, chairman of LRC
In its annual report, published today, the LRC reports that 26,670 working days were lost by 3,298 workers in 16 industrial disputes in 2005. This is an increase of 6,000 days on 2004.
The Irish Ferries strike, which saw 21,000 work days lost by 1,000 staff, was by far the largest dispute. Other major stoppages afflicted the ESB, An Post and Gama Construction.
According to Maurice Cashell, chairman of the LRC, Ireland rates favourably in international league tables of industrial disputes. "There is every reason to expect that these losses can be further reduced," he said.
However, the report notes that the number of disputes referred to the LRC's Conciliation Service is rising. There were 1,700 separate incidents dealt with by the service in 2005, a 4 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.
Some 81 per cent of these are resolved by the LRC, with nearly all the remainder being concluded in the Labour Court.
There was an 18 per cent increase in referrals to the Rights Commissioner Service over 2004.
Chief executive Kieran Mulvey said the LRC was concerned at the high incidence of dispute referral, "particularly where there is clear evidence at conciliation of insufficient local engagement on the issues in dispute".
Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen said the increase in referrals was "a reflection on the increased number of people at work and the increasing levels of awareness relating to employment rights in recent times".
He added that "greater effort needs to be made at local level to resolve issues before referring them to the dispute settling bodies of the State."
According to the Central Statistics Office, the average annual private sector industrial wage was about €30,000 last year. Average public sector pay was €43,5000.
Employment rose in 2005 by 86,5000 or 46 per cent, the highest riser since 2000. There were 1,980,600 people with jobs at the end of 2005.