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Labour Court
The Labour Court and its conciliation service were established under
the Industrial Relations Act 1946 to conciliate and adjudicate on
industrial disputes. In 1978 the Government established the commission
of inquiry on Industrial Relations to identify and address issues
causing industrial unrest.
Its 1981 recommendations made way for a Labour Relations Commission
(LRC) to resolve disputes through dialogue and conciliation separate
from the Labour Court. The LRC can refer unresolved disputes to the
Labour Court for investigation.
Appeals from Rights Commissioners depending on the legislation and
matters under other statutes are also heard by the court. When the
court investigates a dispute it usually issues recommendations and the
terms on which it should be settled. In most cases, the courts
recommendations are not legally binding but carry strong moral
authority.
A recent survey showed that only 5% of recommendations were rejected by
both parties. The Labour Court is a court of last resort and should
only be used when all other efforts have failed.
