Economy Minister announces five Industrial Court reappointments

Minister for the Economy Diane Dodds has announced the reappointment of five members to the Industrial Court.

SERC Governing Body members

Mr Barry Fitzpatrick (Deputy Chair) has been reappointed to serve as Acting Chair and Mr Robin Bell, Mrs Barbara Martin, Mr Patrick Masterson and Ms Patricia O’Callaghan as members of the Industrial Court.

The Industrial Court is responsible for the resolution of disputes arising from statutory trade union recognition for collective bargaining purposes and employee information and consultation rights.

All of the reappointments took effect from 1 April 2020 and are for a period of three years.

Notes to editors: 

1. Pen pictures are available on the Department’s website at: Industrial Court re-appointments pen pictures .
2. The Industrial Court is a Tribunal Non-Departmental Public Body which has its origin in the Industrial Courts Act 1919.
3. The Court normally comprises a Chair, a Deputy Chair, six members with experience as employers’ representatives, and six members with experience as workers’ representatives. The overall responsibility for the Court’s work rests with the Chair. It works through panels consisting of the Chair or the Deputy Chair, and one member drawn from each of the other two groups.
4. Court appointments are not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPANI), although appointments adhere, as far as possible, to the CPANI Code of Practice.
5. All appointments are made on merit, and political activity plays no part in the selection process. In accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for the political activity of appointees to be published.
6. The rate of remuneration for the deputy Chairman is £511.56, while that for a member of the Court is £290.80 for each day spent on Court activities. Members are also eligible to claim allowances, at Northern Ireland Civil Service rates, for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on Court business.
7. For media enquiries contact the Department for the Economy Press Office by email at: pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk.  Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.
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