THE LABOUR Relations Commission (LRC) has called for the use of voluntary binding arbitration if necessary in dealing with disputes in the current challenging industrial relations climate.

Speaking at the launch of the organisation’s annual report for 2008, LRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey called for “a robust commitment to negotiation and decision, through voluntary binding arbitration if necessary, in meeting the challenges faced by Irish employments at this time”.

He said that Irish competitiveness must be restored through a combination of more efficient work practices, better product cost analysis, in-company training, and investment in infrastructure and research and development.

Mr Mulvey said the public service needed to eliminate inefficiencies, create more flexible ways of delivering services, and end cost duplication. “The public sector in particular has no choice but to build on the goodwill that exists to find better ways of working which delivers high-quality services at a time when the resources to fund public services are severely curtailed,” he said.

In separate comments in the annual report, Mr Mulvey said the approach taken regarding reform and the provision of public services was of particular importance.

“We cannot continue simply to expand our public services or maintain them at current levels for the foreseeable future. We must decide what services are necessary and a priority and, therefore, what is financially sustainable.”

Mr Mulvey said referrals to the LRC conciliation service in the first nine months of 2009 dealing with pay restructuring and redundancy-related disputes grew by over 100 per cent in comparison with the same period in 2008. He said there were 1,300 separate disputes to end-September 2009.

The annual report said there were only 12 strikes recorded in the economy last year.

The report said referrals to its rights commissioner service had grown by 21 per cent to 11,000. It said up to September this year there had been 10,000 referrals.