Latest news with #LabourRelationsAgency
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Agency boss on how NI workers are owed ‘eye-watering' sums in series of pay disputes: ‘A car crash in slow motion'
Mark McAllister talks to James McNaney about potential millions owed to workers, tribunal backlogs, the passage of the Good Jobs Bill and budget constraints The head of the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has described ongoing public sector holiday pay disputes as 'a slow-motion car crash' that involves 'eye-watering' sums of money. Speaking after the publication of its annual report, LRA chief executive Mark McAllister said holiday pay inquiries could easily take up all of the organisation's time, such is the volume.
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Agency boss on how NI workers are owed ‘eye-watering' sums in series of pay disputes: ‘It's like watching a car crash in slow motion'
Mark McAllister talks to James McNaney about potential millions owed to workers, tribunal backlogs, the passage of the Good Jobs Bill and budget constraints The head of the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has described ongoing public sector holiday pay disputes as 'a slow-motion car crash' that involves 'eye-watering' sums of money. Speaking after the publication of its annual report, LRA chief executive Mark McAllister said holiday pay inquiries could easily take up all of the organisation's time, such is the volume.
Belfast Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Average employee in Northern Ireland down nearly £30 in June
But details published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said there had also been a drop of £28 in median pay over the month, to now sit at £2,344. Over the quarter from March-May 2025, the unemployment rate for Northern Ireland was 2.1%, which was a 0.6% increase over the period and described by Nisra as 'statistically significant'. There were 30.2 million weekly hours of work performed in June, which was a 4.2% rise on the prior quarter and a 2.9% rise from the equivalent period in 2024. However, the economic inactivity rate now sits at 26.3%, which was a 0.4% rise over the year. Economic inactivity is defined as 'the proportion of people aged 16 to 64 who were not working and not seeking or available to work'. There were 300 redundancies in June, with a total of 2,160 redundancies made in the 12 months leading up it. That figure was down by 400 from the total of 2,560 for the previous year. And there were 210 proposed redundancies in the month, taking the annual total to 3,030, which was almost 5% higher than the figure for the previous year (2,890). During the month, there were 38,500 people on the claimant count, which covers those claiming jobseeker's allowance or unemployed recipients of universal credit. That was 3.9% of the workforce, and the figure is 28.8% higher than that recorded before the pandemic in March 2020. The figures follow an unexpected increase in Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation to 3.6% in June, up from 3.4%. Mark McAllister, chief executive of the Labour Relations Agency, said the figures, combined with the rise in inflation, 'make a bad combination especially with pending pay negotiations and the potential for pay-related disputes'. 'This, together with an uptick in the number of announced redundancies compared to last year, may give cause for concern. 'Whilst long-term trends are not in place, there does not seem to be a let-up in employees bemoaning the cost of living and employers bemoaning the cost of doing business.' Jenny Rankin, associate and employment expert at DWF Law, said: 'The latest labour market figures for Northern Ireland show a mixed picture against a difficult economic backdrop. 'Strength in formal employment and wage growth are both positive indicators. More people are actively looking for work but unable to find it, suggesting some cooling in the market. 'With food prices rising and UK inflation taking an unexpected hike in June 2025 we are likely to see employees seeking higher wages. Quite simply it costs more money to live. 'If employers cannot meet the increased wage demands, we may see some movement in the market as employees may be forced to search for other roles for higher pay.'
