Labour Court Cases Down By One Third

The level of disputes being referred to the Labour Court was surprisingly down last year, according to the body's latest annual report.

The court says it dealt with 924 cases in 2007, a drop of more than one-third on the previous three years.

The report said: "The number of cases referred to the Court in 2007 shows a significant decrease on the historically high level of referrals recorded in recent years."

The court cited new procedures for the processing of complaints as one of the main reasons for downturn. The body's new policy required greater efforts to resolve the issues directly with the employer to satisfy disputes outside the Labour Court.

The court also believed the fall in activity in the construction sector was a major influence in the reduction of Labour Court hearings.

However, the number of cases arising from alleged breaches of workers' employment rights reached a record high and accounted for almost one-quarter of all cases.

Elsewhere, the annual report also shows that, in most instances, the court issued its recommendations within three weeks of its hearings and on some occasions within hours.

(DW/JM)