New Era for Workers Rights
Statement by Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, TD
Regional Labour Inspectors in frontline of protecting workers rights
Details of First Workers Protection Laws of 'Towards 2016' published
Labour Inspectors are to be placed in regional centres across the country in an effort to ensure the rights of workers are protected in every region, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, TD has confirmed at a news conference today (February 11th 2007).
The Minister confirmed that inspectors will be based in Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Sligo as well as the new head office for the Employment Rights Authority in Carlow.
Speaking at the news conference the Minister said "The opening of regional offices for Labour Inspectors is an important move to ensure that workers in every county have their rights protected. At present we are in the process of increasing the number of inspectors by 200% to 90, as set out in 'Towards 2016'. The locations and the number of inspectors and support staff assigned will be based on the basis of population, work force and gateways identified in the National Spatial Strategy."
Key Employment Rights Legislation in Preparation
The Minister confirmed that substantial progress has been made in advancing the commitments regarding employment rights entered into under the ten year social partnership agreement, Towards 2016.
"Key pieces of legislation set out in the programme are being advanced. I fully recognise to deliver quickly and have allocated significant additional resources to deliver the legislation."
"The first Bill to give effect to our employment rights commitments is the 'Protection of Employment (Exceptional Collective Redundancies Bill 2007)'. Today I can outline the details of the Bill."
"The Bill provides for the establishment of a Redundancy Panel, drawn from the social partners, which can request the Minister to refer cases of dismissals to the Labour Court for an opinion as to whether or not they are genuine redundancies. Based on that opinion the Minister may refuse to pay a redundancy rebate."
There are also other provisions in the Bill including abolishing the upper age limit of 66 for qualifying for statutory redundancy.
National Employment Rights Authority
The Minister was joined at the news conference by Mr. Ger Deering following his recent appointment to the Office of the Director for Employment Rights Compliance, which will be known as the National Employment Rights Authority.
"I welcome Ger to his new position and I encourage him to push forward as rapidly as possible the ambitious agenda set for the Authority in the Social Partnership Agreement. The Government is committed to providing the staffing and other resources to do so."
Progress on other Employment Rights commitments
Minister Martin also indicated that, in the context of the Department's estimates for 2007, he has secured sanction for the additional resources for the Employment Rights Bodies as proposed in 2016.
As regards protecting employees in the home, the Labour Relations Commission is close to finalising the Code of Practice foreseen in Towards 2016 and would hope to be in a position to submit the Code to the Minister shortly.
Regarding the proposals in Towards 2016 to modernise the Joint Labour Committee system, the Labour Court is engaging with the social partners to determine how best to give effect to these proposals.
ENDS
ETE 1705
Last modified: 11/02/2007
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