The National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) recovered more than €900,000 through the course of its work before being dissolved in September 2015, the Authority’s final report has revealed.
Following the dissolution of the National Employment Rights Authority in October last year, (to be replaced by the Workplace Relations Commission), a report detailing the last nine months of the Authority’s work and results has been published.
Covering the nine months from January to September 2015, the Authority’s report revealed an increase of 40% in unpaid wages it helped recover. 86 fines due to non-compliance totalled almost €100,000; low levels of compliance with regulations were reported in the hair & beauty, transport and food & drink sectors. Full compliance was found in just 35% of inspections in these cases, with inspections resulting in more than €280,000 recovered in unpaid wages.
More than €255,000 was recovered following inspections in the wholesale and retail sector, while the enforcement of awards made by the Labour Court resulted in payments of almost €50,000.
In total, during the last nine months of its existence, the National Employment Rights Authority recovered almost €900,000 in unpaid wages and fines.
Other numbers pertaining to the report:
- 3,535 workplace inspections took place
- 1,200 calls per week were fielded by Nera staff, an average increase of 200 calls per week
- 74% of callers were employees or former employees
- Around 18% of callers were employers
- 28% of calls related to employment permits
- 16% of calls were pertaining to working hours
- 13% of calls were related to terms of employment
- 11% of callers were seeking information on redundancy
- 10% of calls represented queries regarding payment of wages
- 6% of calls were regarding unfair dismissal
- 6% of calls regarded general complaints
And so eight years after being formed, NERA comes an end, but the work continues within the new organisation, the Workplace Relations Commission
