The Workplace Relations Commission's annual report for 2023 shows that it completed a total of 4,727 inspections during the year with €1.95m recovered in unpaid wages.
The WRC said that 6,519 workplace inspection visits took place last year with the WRC Inspectorate placing a strong emphasis on sectors including fishers, road transport, construction, agriculture, and on the National Minimum Wage.
Today's report shows that the number of WRC adjudication hearings scheduled, and the number of hearings held increased by almost 13% and 12% respectively on 2022.
The number of decisions issued by the service increased by 50% last year compared to 2022, it added.
Meanwhile WRC's Conciliation Service, which it said is central to maintaining good workplace relations in Ireland and the effective resolution of disputes, was involved in the resolution and or prevention of a number of serious high-profile disputes. Its success rates remain high at around 85%.
The WRC noted that it facilitated talks in late 2023 between the Government and the Public Sector Trade Unions/Associations on a successor agreement to Building Momentum and this engagement continued into early 2024.
During 2023, over 61,800 callers were helped by the WRC's Information and Customer Service staff providing information on employment, equality, or industrial relations matters, an increase of 3% on 2022. There were over 4.6 million pageviews of its website, up 12% on last year.
Ms Audrey Cahill, Director General of the WRC, said that 2023 was the year when the WRC saw its first full year of normal services since 2019.
"The increased demand across all our divisions was met with high standards of delivery and commitment from the teams. Significant trends have begun to emerge in some key areas of our activity which will inform our workplans in the coming years and we look forward to continued positive engagements with all of our service users and stakeholders," Ms Cahill said.
David Begg, Chairperson of the Board of the WRC, said that 2023 saw a considerable expansion of all the services provided by the WRC.
"Our aim is to continuously improve our offering to our stakeholders, and we are very grateful for the trust and confidence they repose in us," Mr Begg added.
Minister of State for Employment Affairs and Retail Business Emer Higgins said the WRC continued to perform strongly in 2023, and its annual report illustrates the effectiveness of it across the full ambit of services it provides, including adjudication, inspection, conciliation, mediation, advisory and information services.
"The WRC continues to play an important role in terms of a level playing field across the economy for companies and employees, ensuring employment rights are upheld for all. Recovering almost €2m in unpaid wages in 2023, the WRC is playing a crucial role in this regard," Ms Higgins added.
Minister Higgins also paid tribute today to the former acting Director General Anna Perry, who retired in February, and former Director General Liam Kelly, who retired in March 2023.
