The new Cork city centre office of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) was opened yesterday (20 October) by Damien English (Minister for Business, Employment and Retail). 

The WRC has five regional offices in Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Ennis and Sligo and its mission is to deliver a speedy, user-friendly, independent, effective, impartial and cost-effective service.

The WRC has a staffing complement of just over 200 civil servants and the work is supplemented by a further 44 adjudication officers who work on a case-by-case basis.

The minister said yesterday that the WRC plays a vital role in delivering fair and compliant workplaces and the non-discriminatory delivery of services.

Free of fees

The WRC provides various means of dispute resolution, redress and effective enforcement, and improves workplace relations, all of which are delivered free of fees. 

Director general Liam Kelly said that a centrally-located and accessible office in Cork city is the final piece of the jigsaw in establishing a fully functioning office in each region.

Board chair Dr David Begg said: “In a small open economy, the quality of its institutions can be a source of stability and comparative advantage.”

By September 2022, the WRC had fielded 5,050 complaint applications received for adjudication which encompasses over 10,000 individual complaints.

A total of €977,000 has been recovered in unpaid wages and entitlements.