A former regional trade union negotiator with more than 20 years’ experience in both dispute prevention and resolution has been named as the new chief executive of the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) in Northern Ireland.
Mark McAllister, an academic employment lawyer by profession, succeeds Don Leeson into the top role at the LRA, whose remit is to improve employment relations in the north by giving both employees and employers free impartial advice on workplace rights and best practice, and help to resolve disputes.
“We’re here equally for employers and employees,” he said.
“The perception might have been that we’re here for one side or the other, but it’s a yin and yang - we do the proactive preventative stuff and also reactive resolution stuff.
“I suppose you could say that on one hand we’re the health promotion agency, on the other hand we’re the emergency department of the NHS!”
Mark - who writes a regular column for the Irish News on employment issues - joined the LRA 23 years ago and has been its director of employment relations services since 2019.
With an in-depth knowledge across local, national and international employment and industrial relations, he is also renowned for his expertise in the underpinning employment law.
A part-time lecturer at Ulster University, Mark helps upskill future generations of lawyers, HR professionals and trade unionists and, importantly, helps build their capacity for dispute resolution.
His appointment comes as the LRA - which has a staff of 70 full-time equivalents in Belfast and Derry - is finalising its vision and strategy for the next five years and beyond, and Mark says: “There are few who would argue that the world of work has changed significantly – both for the workplace and the workforce.
“Prior to 2020, terms such as ‘flexible’ and ‘remote’ working were, for many, simply concepts. The changes have had a knock-on impact on the work and strategic emphasis of the LRA. As we are here to support both employers and employees, our priority is to bring them together, empower them and find a level of harmony that makes the work future fit for all.
“Research has shown that workplace conflict costs the local economy up to £1 billion a year, so pre-empting and preventing disputes must be central to our plans. Learning from the past and capacity building is also vital, so that working relationships remain positive and productive.
“Under Don’s leadership we’ve been working hard to help our stakeholders better understand the Agency’s role and our core principles. This includes our impartiality, the confidentiality of our services, and our assistance in improving relationships and preventing disputes, while also recognising the fact that social issues quickly become workplace issues.”
He adds: “I hope to take this to the next level, helping more employers, and employees, benefit from our expertise and guidance on all issues that have an impact on work today - and whatever work looks like tomorrow.
“It’s an ever-evolving landscape and with issues such as domestic abuse, diversity and equity increasingly impacting on the workplace, our team, tools and skills training are best placed to map out the good employment journey.”
