Economy in good position says Kennedy

NIO Minister Jane Kennedy has told delegates at today’s Labour Relation’s Agency (LRA) conference in Belfast that the economy is in a "better position than many other parts of Great Britain".

During the meeting, Ms Kennedy highlighted what she described as "the positive improvements" in the Northern Ireland economy over the past decade.

"Northern Ireland is the most improved regional economy in the UK since 1990. Unemployment is down to 6% and has stabilised. Employment is up with 6,800 more jobs created over the past year," she said.

"A recent UK-wide survey by the CBI showed that business confidence here is robust with Northern Ireland being the only region where employers are anticipating taking on extra workers."

She said that Northern Ireland also has comparatively few working days lost through industrial action.

Chartering the significant progress being made here in the areas of employment law and relations, the Minister said: "The most recent substantial period of devolution clearly highlighted the added value of local political accountability and decision making and my Ministerial colleagues and I are hopeful that there will be a very early return to locally devolved government."

Ms Kennedy praised and encouraged the work being carried out on promoting alternative means of workplace dispute.

"Fewer cases in the system would mean better and quicker handling of them by the tribunals," she said.

"Another plus of early workplace resolution is that the working relationship between the parties is far less likely to be damaged by the process."

The Minister outlined her timetable for: introducing measures to encourage the early resolution of employment disputes in the workplace; updating tribunal rules and improved resources to improve case management; a variety of initiatives emanating from European Directives including, Working Time, Temporary Agency Workers and the draft information and Consultation Directive; and a review of the Employment Relations (NI) Order 1999, which includes the trade union recognition provisions overseen by the Industrial Court.

She added: "Our economy is made up of public and private enterprises and organisations. Our goal must be to use the partnership approach to resolve workplace disputes using less cumbersome and litigious methods."

The LRA is independent of government and funded by a £2.2 million grant per annum from the Department for Employment and Learning.

(GMcG)