The absence of a coherent national body dedicated to ER issues and accessible to anyone with an interest in the subject was a source of concern for many years until a group of practitioners got together to form IRasa in the early 1990’s.

Industrial Relations professionals were often members of associations in generic or allied fields such as personnel, human resources, psychology, law, other human sciences or academia. However it was recognised that their speciality set ER practitioners apart and created unique needs which were not satisfied by membership of other professional groups, which tended to blur or alter the ER component.

Furthermore a specialised reputable body was needed to interact locally and internationally with other influential bodies and opinion-formers. Hence IRasa was established.

Vision

To become a vibrant Organisation enhancing Employment Relations through debate and dialogue.

Mission

• To facilitate an ongoing forum for constructive relationship building
• To deal with themes of relevance to the South African Employment Relations community
• To enhance the understanding, knowledge and practices of Employment Relations at National, Regional and branch levels in South Africa.