Minister Killeen opens Conference on the role of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Business

Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen TD., today (Thursday 27^th April 2006) opened a conference on Improving Performance and Controlling Costs by Managing Conflict Effectively: The Role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Business, at the Hilton Hotel, Dublin.

Speaking at the conference Minister Killeen said, “I am very pleased to have been invited to address this conference on the role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Business. ADR seeks to find an equitable solution rather than apply the rule of law. Therefore, by definition, all workplace dispute resolution mechanisms, other than the courts, can be categorised as alternative dispute resolution. The State provides a number of such mechanisms – a number of which come within my own remit - such as the Labour Relations Commission, the Labour Court and the Employment Appeals Tribunal”.

The Minister said “The capacity to resolve workplace disputes effectively contributes to the quality of the working environment and has a significant impact on organisational performance in terms of reducing days lost, enhancing productivity and improving management-employee relations.”

“To remain a competitive, growing economy, with the capacity to improve our social provision we must continue to build on what social partnership has achieved for us. Over the past 18 years, if we have learned anything, it is that a shared analysis of the issues coupled with a problem-solving approach has worked,” Minister concluded.

The conference was organised by Polaris HR in association with the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and Leadership and A& L Goodbody.

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Notes to Editor

What is Alternative Dispute Resolution

Alternative Dispute Resolution refers to the process for resolving disputes other than through litigation. Therefore, by definition, all aspects of the services provided by the Labour Relations Commission are alternative dispute resolution.

The Labour Relations Commission (LRC) operates a system of ADR, which encompasses individual disputes (via a Rights Commissioner), to group disputes (via conciliation) to prevention of disputes and improving industrial relations (via ADRS). The LRC provides the first three steps on the early-problem-solving end of the ADR spectrum, Prevention, Negotiation, Mediation. Ends