Minister Damien English, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, has appointed six new Ordinary Members to the Board of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
- Ms Virginija Petrauskaite
- Mr George Maybury
- Mr Stephen Driver
- Ms Sinead Gogan
- Mr Barry O’Brien
- Mr Brendan McGinty
Appointments to the Board of the WRC are statutory appointments under section 10 of the Workplace Relations Act 2015.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Minister English said:
"I want to welcome the new members of the WRC Board and wish them the very best of luck as they take on this new challenge. I’m confident their considerable experience and expertise will contribute enormously to the important work of the WRC and the vital role it plays in Irish society and for the economy in general."
The Board of the WRC comprises a Chairperson and 8 Ordinary Members as provided for in the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The Board has two statutory functions, which are:
- to prepare, in consultation with the Director General of the WRC, an annual work programme for the forthcoming year for the approval of the Minister
- in consultation with the Director General, to prepare and submit a three-year strategy statement to the Minister setting out the WRC’s planned strategy for the next three years
The Workplace Relations Act 2015 provides for the WRC Board to consist of eight ordinary members and a Chairman who shall be appointed by the Minister. The Act stipulates that appointments to the Board shall consist of four members representative of the interests of employees and employers (2 members each); one member to promote equality in the workplace and three members with experience and expertise in relation to workplace relations, resolution of disputes in the workplace, employment law or equality law.
The Chairman of the WRC Board is Dr. David Begg and there is currently one serving ordinary member on the Board, Ms Ethel Buckley.
There is one final Ordinary Member to be appointed to the Board of the WRC, the process for which is in train.
Ms. Petrauskaite is a solicitor with a particular interest in Immigration/Asylum Law, Employment Law and Human Rights Law. She is currently working with the Irish Refugee Council and worked with the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland managing extensive casework in the areas of employment rights, irregular migration, and trafficking for labour exploitation. Ms. Petrauskaite holds an MA in International Relations from DCU and Professional Diploma in Employment Law from UCD. She also completed a professional fellowship sponsored by the US State Department and Boston College with a focus of juvenile justice.
Mr. Maybury is former General Secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, and Assistant General Secretary of PSEU/Fórsa and has extensive experience in promoting the interests of employees over a 30-year period. He is a member of the Civil Service Disciplinary Appeal Board and the Panel of Enquiry under the Judicial Council. He holds a B.Sc. in Public Administration (TCD), H. Dip. Mediation and Conflict Resolution (UCD), and a Professional Certificate in Governance (IPA/UCD). He is a member of the Board of Pentathlon Ireland.
Mr. Driver is Head of Advocacy with the business representative group, Ibec. He leads a team of employment rights, industrial relations, and HR specialists in supporting and advocating on behalf of Ibec members. Along with extensive industry experience as a senior Human Resources and Operations leader, Mr. Driver holds a Master’s degree in HR Strategies and an Advanced Diploma in Personal Leadership & Executive Coaching.
Ms. Gogan has has held various HR and corporate responsibility roles in Ireland and internationally over her career and is currently Chief Human Resources Officer with Deloitte Ireland. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Development and holds postgraduate qualifications in employment law and alternate dispute resolution. In a voluntary capacity, she serves as Chair of the Board for Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services.
Mr. O Brien has spent over 40 years as a public servant and is currently Director of Human Resources in UCC, having spent over 35 years in the health service. Mr. O’Brien was the National Director of HR for the HSE and has a strong track record of achievement in delivering major change and modernisation programmes. Mr. O’Brien was the lead negotiator for the Health Sector for the Croke Park and Haddington Road Public Service Agreements during one of the most challenging economic periods of the State. He is strongly committed to the EDI agenda in the workplace.
Mr. McGinty is a leading expert in people strategy, employment relations, employment policy, change management and dispute resolution. He is Managing Partner of Stratis Consulting, a specialist consultancy supporting organisations on strategic employment relations. He has a deep understanding of workplace relations and the application of employment law. He is passionate about workplace relations and employment rights issues in a modern economy having been involved in most national reform initiatives. Previously, Mr. McGinty was Ibec’s Director of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Services, is currently the Chairperson of Skillnet Ireland and an Independent Director of the National College of Ireland.
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) was established on 1 October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC’s core services include the provision of early dispute resolution, mediation, conciliation, facilitation and advisory services, adjudication on complaints and disputes, the monitoring of employment conditions to ensure compliance with and (where necessary) enforcement of employment rights legislation, the provision of information, and the processing of employment agency and protection of young persons (employment) licences.
The core mission of the WRC centres around the promotion and improvement of industrial and employment relations generally, and the maintenance of proper employment standards which, in turn, contributes significantly to the architecture of economic and social development and growth. In this regard, the collective and specialist services of the Commission play a vital role in contributing towards industrial peace, adjudicating on individual disputes and monitoring and enforcing compliance with employment standards across the economy.
The main functions of the WRC:
- promote the improvement of workplace relations, and the maintenance of good workplace relations
- promote and encourage compliance with relevant employment legislation
- provide guidance in relation to compliance with Codes of Practice
- conduct reviews of, and monitor developments, in workplace relations generally
- conduct or commission relevant research and provide advice, information and the findings of research to Joint Labour Committees and Joint Industrial Councils
- advise the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in relation to the application of, and compliance with, relevant legislation, and
- provide information to the public in relation to employment legislation (other than the Employment Equality Act)
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