Review of Joint Labour Committees conducted by the Labour Court

Joint Labour Committee Review 2023

Review of each Joint Labour Committee (JLC) conducted by the Labour Court in accordance with Section 41A of the Industrial Relations Act 1946 (‘the 1946 Act’)

In accordance with the provisions of Section 41(A) of the Industrial Relations Act 1946 (‘the Act’) as inserted by Section 11 of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2012, the Labour Court proposes to carry out a review of each Joint Labour Committee (JLC) currently in existence.

The current JLCs for the following sectors are as follows;

1. Agricultural Workers;
2. Catering;
3. Contract Cleaning;
4. Hairdressing;
5. Hotels;
6. Retail, Grocery and Allied Trades;
7. Security Industry;
8. English Language Schools;
9. Early Learning.

The Court now invites written submissions in respect of the review, setting out the grounds on which the JLC concerned should be retained, abolished or amalgamated with another JLC. The Court will consider any written submissions received when carrying out its review.

Following the review, the Court may make certain recommendations to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, where it is satisfied that to do so would promote harmonious relations between workers and employers and assist in the avoidance of industrial unrest. As such, the Court may recommend that a JLC be maintained in its current form, amalgamated with another JLC, amended or where the Court is satisfied that it is no longer appropriate to maintain a Joint Labour Committee the Court may recommend that the Joint Labour Committee is abolished.

When formulating submissions, parties are asked to pay particular attention to the provisions of subsection (3) of Section 41(A) of the Act and to prepare any submissions in adherence to the matters set out in that subsection.

Submissions in respect of the review should be marked ‘Review of Joint Labour Committees’ and be received by the Court no later than 5.00pm on Tuesday, 28 February 2023.  Any such representations should be sent by post to The Secretary, The Labour Court, Lansdowne House, Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4, or by E-mail to esubmissions@labourcourt.ie

The 1946 Act requires the Labour Court to carry out a review of each Joint Labour Committee (JLC) at least once every five years following the commencement of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2012. 

The first such review was completed on the 22nd April 2013. It is available here

The second review was completed on the 20th of April 2018. It is available here