Latest news with #JointLabourCommittee
Irish Independent
30-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
New workers' rights laws mean Joint Labour Committee system ‘not fit for purpose', Ibec says
In a submission to a government department, Ibec is critical of the Joint Labour Committee system. These committees, which include employer and union representatives, set legally binding employment conditions and rates of pay for workers in sectors including childcare, contract cleaning and security. The employer group claimed that significant legislation on workers' rights recently means it is difficult to find an incentive for employers to participate. Ibec said these laws include statutory sick pay, extra leave, and minimum-wage increases while legislation is pending on pension auto-enrolment and surrogacy leave. It made the submission to a recent Department of Enterprise public consultation on the promotion of collective bargaining. Collective bargaining involves talks between employer and union representatives on behalf of groups of workers on their terms and conditions. Under an EU directive, each member state in which collective bargaining coverage is less than 80pc must come up with an action plan to promote collective bargaining by the end of the year. 'Ibec is of the view that the Joint Labour Committee structure, as it currently operates, is not fit for purpose in the modern workplace,' its submission said. It said 'employment regulation orders' drawn up by these committees are not collective agreements. As a result, it said they will be of 'limited value' to any action plan on collective bargaining that Ireland produces. It said it has become increasingly difficult to identify traditional areas of collective negotiation that are not regulated by statute. ADVERTISEMENT 'In the last five years, we have seen a significant legislative-driven agenda resulting in the introduction of statutory sick pay, the extension of statutory leaves, introduction of new statutory leaves, increases in minimum wage, with further implementation or legislation pending on auto-enrolment for pensions and further leaves such as surrogacy leave, to name but a few,' it said. It said the intent of the Joint Labour Committee system is to regulate pay and conditions of employment. 'If statute already does so, Ibec submits that it is difficult to identify an incentive for employers to participate in the operation of Joint Labour Committees.' However, it said action is required to strengthen the capacity of the social partners to engage in collective bargaining on wage setting in individual workplaces. It said dedicating funding to training will help promote collective bargaining. It welcomed a government commitment to 'unlock' the National Training Fund, which will have a surplus near €2bn this year. 'We believe that the provision of collective bargaining training should focus on those employee and employer representatives in companies which are already engaged in collective bargaining or have agreements in place to recognise a union,' it said. It said it believes that a 'good faith engagement' process involving a single meeting between an employer and union may play a role in Ireland's action plan to promote collective bargaining. However, after this it said an employer could continue to hold their position 'not to recognise a union'. The employer representative group said it does not believe that a statutory entitlement to trade union access to the workplace should be introduced. It said providing for a right of access to workplaces, whether physical or digital, would raise significant constitutional, legal and security issues.
Extra.ie
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Norma Foley to introduce childcare fee cap for parents
The Minister for Children Norma Foley has said that she will be introducing a fee cap for childcare, saying that costs are 'far too high.' A new Ispos B&A Poll published by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality found that 49% of parents of pre-school age children and 53% of parents of school-age children found it easy to pay for childcare. Following the publication of the report, Minister Foley said that while there's been a 50% reduction in the cost of childcare, the cost is still 'far too high' along with some parents having a lack of accessibility. The Minister for Children Norma Foley has said that she will be introducing a fee cap for childcare, saying that costs are 'far too high.' Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire As a result, she has announced an ambitious plan to cap fees this September, and will be increasing the number of places of childcare; which she announced last week. 'Over the last number of years since we've brought in state funding directly to [childcare] providers, we've seen, on average, a 50% reduction in the cost of childcare,' Minister Foley told Claire Byrne. 'But it's still far too high. 'In terms of it still being too costly, come this September I will be introducing a fee cap, and that will particularly help parents who are paying particularly high fees for childcare. In terms of accessibility, I'm very conscious of that — so we've also given a commitment that we'll increase the number of places.' A new Ispos B&A Poll published by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality found that 49% of parents of pre-school age children and 53% of parents of school-age children found it easy to pay for childcare. Pic: Shutterstock 'Just last week, I announced funding of €25million which is providing 1,500 additional places. But we need to do much more,' Minister Foley continued. 'We've given a commitment that the state will intervene where there isn't a provision of service. 'I want to recognise that we do that alongside the private provision, we're committed over the next number of years between now and 2030, we envisage that 14,000 additional places will be required every year; we will make additional places available either through supporting private providers or the state intervening itself.' Minister Foley also spoke about staffing numbers and retaining numbers, adding that she's made €45million available 'so that there'll be an increase in wages for staff.' Minister Foley said that she hopes to increase the number of available places, as well as increasing wages for staff. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire 'I want to say that the Joint Labour Committee is independent of me,' she continued. 'But I want to say that I put €45million on the table, I've met with the membership of the Joint Labour Committee, I've made it very clear that I want every single last penny of that spent on wages. They deserve the uplift, we want professionals, we want the best of people caring for children. To do that, they need to be paid. 'It's about reducing costs for parents, and it's about ensuring that there are more places available, ensuring staff are paid proportionately and appropriately for the excellent work they do, and equally it's ensuring that there is enough money coming forward from government.' Following the publication of the Department's survey, Minister Foley said that while there were 'tangible improvements' surrounding childcare, the burden remains high for a lot of families. 'The National Childcare Scheme is currently supporting thousands of families to offset their childcare costs,' Minister Foley said in a statement. 'Moreover, the recent extension of regulation to paid, non-relative childminders is opening up of the National Childcare Scheme to an increasing number of childminders, enabling more parents to access State subsidies who were previously unable to do so. 'These developments to the National Childcare Scheme combined with fee management measures under Core Funding, have resulted in tangible improvements for many families. 'I do recognise however that the burden on some families remains high and some continue to face challenges in accessing places, particularly families with very young children. That is why the Programme for Government has made very ambition commitments in this policy area, which I am committed to delivering on. 'Results from the survey show awareness of supports under the National Childcare Scheme, while improving on recent years, remains low. An awareness raising campaign, led by my Department, is underway. 'As part of that campaign, my Department will be engaging with families at the 'Budding Bloomers' section of Bord Bia Bloom this weekend to discuss the supports available to help reduce the cost of childcare.'
Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
New bill to end employers' ‘boycott' of pay deals tabled by Labour Party
The Labour Party said its new bill would strengthen Joint Labour Committees. These committees, which include employer and union representatives, set legally binding employment conditions and rates of pay for workers in different sectors including childcare, contract cleaning and security. Labour politicians said they wanted to address an 'ongoing employer boycott' in some industries. They claim this was leaving 'good employers' at a disadvantage and causing a 'race to the bottom'. The party said the bill provided a mechanism to get around an employer 'boycott' and would ensure fair wages were paid in sectors, including home care, retail and hospitality. TD George Lawlor, the party's enterprise, tourism and employment spokesperson, said the process for setting up a Joint Labour Committee required the co-operation of all parties, so the employer side could exercise a veto. He said the Labour bill aimed to clear this 'impasse'. It would allow the Labour Court to appoint members to a committee if any party refused to participate, and draw up proposals. Mr Lawlor said a collective bargaining approach was best. 'It is a much better process because you're not dealing with individual difficulties,' he said. 'It's much easier to be dealing with a union than individual 'asks' from various different people. 'If your staff are comfortable where they are, it stops them leaving. Staff retention is a big thing and cuts out the cost of training and recruitment. A lot of that is down to the fact that negotiations have taken place as opposed to people having ill will and gripes that flare up sporadically.' He said if employers could not afford higher pay, it was very much in their interest to attend talks and put their 'cards on the table'. Introducing the Industrial Relations (Boycott of Joint Labour Committees) bill yesterday, he said the Irish Hotels Federation had taken judicial review proceedings over moves to reconstitute a Joint Labour Committee. Mr Lawlor said the fact that there was non-co-operation by an employer representative body in the committee system meant the case was struck out, so there was essentially an employers' veto.
