WHAT TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR…
Minister Mitchell O’Connor Launches New Employment Permits Online Application System
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms. Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, has officially launched a new Employment Permits Online System (EPOS).
This project provides a best in class international online platform for employers and employees alike to apply for employment permits. It provides a digital route for both Employees and Employers to share the application process in a time efficient manner.
The Employment Permit Online System when combined with the Trusted Partner initiative launched by the Department last year, means that the application to decision time can take as little as 5 - 7 working days to complete. In the last three years demand for Employment Permits has risen by one third year-on-year (6,696 in 2013 to c.14,000 in 2016).
Minister Breen encourages interested parties to make submissions to Low Pay Communion on National Minimum Wage and Board and Lodging Rates
The Minister for Employment and Small Business, Pat Breen TD, is encouraging those with an interest in the national minimum wage to make submissions to the Low Pay Commission as it begins a new phase of work.
The Low Pay Commission is an independent body set up in 2015 whose main function is to advise the Government on the appropriate rate of the national minimum wage.
The Low Pay Commission is seeking submissions on the minimum wage itself in preparation for submission of its third recommendation on the appropriate rate of the minimum wage in July next year.
Minister Breen has also asked the Low Pay Commission to review the rates for board and lodgings, which are reckonable as part of the national minimum wage. As these rates were set in 2000 and were not altered since then, the Commission has been was requested to examine and advise on an appropriate adjustment to the rates, taking into account the time that has passed since the rates were first set.
Minister Breen stated, “We have fundamentally changed the way that the national minimum wage is set through the establishment of the Low Pay Commission and I am pleased that this independent body is now moving onto its next phase of work. I would encourage anyone with an interest in the National Minimum Wage or the issue of the board and lodgings rates to make their views known to the Low Pay Commission. All these submissions will enable the Low Pay Commission to be fully informed when making their recommendations to me. ”
National Minimum Wage
The current national minimum hourly rate of pay for an adult worker is €9.15. This rate came into effect on January 1st last following Government acceptance of the Low Pay Commission’s first recommendation of July 2015 to increase the rate from €8.65 per hour.
The second report from the Low Pay Commission submitted to Cabinet on July 19th recommended a rate of €9.25 as the new national minimum hourly rate. The recommendation was approved by the Government and will come into effect on the 1st of January 2017.
WRC Publishes Progress Report and Commentary on its first 12 Months of Operation
This Commentary and Progress Report sets out the work undertaken by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in its first year of operation. The Workplace Relations Commission came into operation on 1st October 2015.
Information and Customer Service
Information on rights and entitlements under employment legislation is provided by the WRC Information and Customer Service Unit. In the first twelve months of operation the Service logged over 62,000 calls ranging from queries related to work permits, working hours, payment of wages etc.
Conciliation Service
The Conciliation Service helps Employers and their Employees to resolve disputes when they have failed to reach agreement during their own negotiations. The Conciliation Service assisted in the resolution of disputes and/or facilitated the parties in discussions with a variety of employment organisations. Prominent cases involved a broad spectrum of employments including Childminding Ireland and several education and health related organisations/institutions. The number of referrals to the Conciliation Service was 1,124 over the year. There was also an additional 319 facilitative processes chaired and accommodated by the Divisional staff.
Employment Rights Mediation
Employment rights mediation is provided where both parties have agreed to mediation and where the circumstances allow for the provision of the service. The Commission has identified the mediation service as a key tool in resolving disputes and will endeavour to increase its usage during 2017.
Adjudication Service
The establishment of the WRC created a “one-stop-shop” streamlined structure for the submission of complaints. It is now taking on average, between three and four months from submission of complaint to initial hearing date, and an average of 6-8 weeks for a decision to issue. A key early target is to halve the latter period. In terms of “legacy” cases it is anticipated that these will be dealt with within a year.
14,270 work days lost to Three Industrial disputes in Q3 2016
14,270 work days were lost as a result of three industrial disputes that were in progress during the third quarter of the year, based on figures from the Central Statistics Office. There were no disputes during the same period last year.
3,362 workers were involved in the disputes, with the Dublin Bus strike accounting for the bulk of the days lost.
In total, 20,512 days were lost to industrial disputes for the first nine months of 2016, involving eight disputes and 8,195 workers. At the same stage in 2015 more than 32,000 days had been lost to dispute.
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms. Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, has officially launched a new Employment Permits Online System (EPOS).
This project provides a best in class international online platform for employers and employees alike to apply for employment permits. It provides a digital route for both Employees and Employers to share the application process in a time efficient manner.
The Employment Permit Online System when combined with the Trusted Partner initiative launched by the Department last year, means that the application to decision time can take as little as 5 - 7 working days to complete. In the last three years demand for Employment Permits has risen by one third year-on-year (6,696 in 2013 to c.14,000 in 2016).
Minister Breen encourages interested parties to make submissions to Low Pay Communion on National Minimum Wage and Board and Lodging Rates
The Minister for Employment and Small Business, Pat Breen TD, is encouraging those with an interest in the national minimum wage to make submissions to the Low Pay Commission as it begins a new phase of work.
The Low Pay Commission is an independent body set up in 2015 whose main function is to advise the Government on the appropriate rate of the national minimum wage.
The Low Pay Commission is seeking submissions on the minimum wage itself in preparation for submission of its third recommendation on the appropriate rate of the minimum wage in July next year.
Minister Breen has also asked the Low Pay Commission to review the rates for board and lodgings, which are reckonable as part of the national minimum wage. As these rates were set in 2000 and were not altered since then, the Commission has been was requested to examine and advise on an appropriate adjustment to the rates, taking into account the time that has passed since the rates were first set.
Minister Breen stated, “We have fundamentally changed the way that the national minimum wage is set through the establishment of the Low Pay Commission and I am pleased that this independent body is now moving onto its next phase of work. I would encourage anyone with an interest in the National Minimum Wage or the issue of the board and lodgings rates to make their views known to the Low Pay Commission. All these submissions will enable the Low Pay Commission to be fully informed when making their recommendations to me. ”
National Minimum Wage
The current national minimum hourly rate of pay for an adult worker is €9.15. This rate came into effect on January 1st last following Government acceptance of the Low Pay Commission’s first recommendation of July 2015 to increase the rate from €8.65 per hour.
The second report from the Low Pay Commission submitted to Cabinet on July 19th recommended a rate of €9.25 as the new national minimum hourly rate. The recommendation was approved by the Government and will come into effect on the 1st of January 2017.
WRC Publishes Progress Report and Commentary on its first 12 Months of Operation
This Commentary and Progress Report sets out the work undertaken by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in its first year of operation. The Workplace Relations Commission came into operation on 1st October 2015.
Information and Customer Service
Information on rights and entitlements under employment legislation is provided by the WRC Information and Customer Service Unit. In the first twelve months of operation the Service logged over 62,000 calls ranging from queries related to work permits, working hours, payment of wages etc.
Conciliation Service
The Conciliation Service helps Employers and their Employees to resolve disputes when they have failed to reach agreement during their own negotiations. The Conciliation Service assisted in the resolution of disputes and/or facilitated the parties in discussions with a variety of employment organisations. Prominent cases involved a broad spectrum of employments including Childminding Ireland and several education and health related organisations/institutions. The number of referrals to the Conciliation Service was 1,124 over the year. There was also an additional 319 facilitative processes chaired and accommodated by the Divisional staff.
Employment Rights Mediation
Employment rights mediation is provided where both parties have agreed to mediation and where the circumstances allow for the provision of the service. The Commission has identified the mediation service as a key tool in resolving disputes and will endeavour to increase its usage during 2017.
Adjudication Service
The establishment of the WRC created a “one-stop-shop” streamlined structure for the submission of complaints. It is now taking on average, between three and four months from submission of complaint to initial hearing date, and an average of 6-8 weeks for a decision to issue. A key early target is to halve the latter period. In terms of “legacy” cases it is anticipated that these will be dealt with within a year.
14,270 work days lost to Three Industrial disputes in Q3 2016
14,270 work days were lost as a result of three industrial disputes that were in progress during the third quarter of the year, based on figures from the Central Statistics Office. There were no disputes during the same period last year.
3,362 workers were involved in the disputes, with the Dublin Bus strike accounting for the bulk of the days lost.
In total, 20,512 days were lost to industrial disputes for the first nine months of 2016, involving eight disputes and 8,195 workers. At the same stage in 2015 more than 32,000 days had been lost to dispute.
