COLLECTIVE BARGAINING A HUGELY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR WORKERS - KENNY

Posted on May 13, 2014 3:51 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Labour TD Sean Kenny has warmly welcomed the announcement that Government is to proceed with legislation to support the right of workers to partake in collective bargaining with their employers.

"This is a massively positive development for workers, and has been a hugely important issue for the Labour Party in Government, and one that has long been sought by the wider Labour movement. The new legislation will also provide protection to workers from being victimised by unscrupulous employers who do not wish to see their workers come together to negotiate for fairness at work. It will also seek to restrict attempts by employers to incentivise people against using the new legislation."

"The new law will provide for a right for workers to bargain as a collective and it will provide a means for workers, via their trade unions, to obtain a binding decision from the Labour Court providing for improvements to their pay or terms of employment if the employer refuses recognition. It will not be open to such employers to obtain binding decisions. This is an excellent development for workers and I am delighted to be a member of Dáil Éireann during its passage into law."

"The right to collective bargaining is crucially important regardless of other legislation concerning industrial relations and the rights of workers because it is of key importance when it comes to ensuring all persons involved in an enterprise can benefit from the fruits of that enterprise. It is also recognised by the European Court of Human Rights, (ECHR) and the International Labour Organisation, (ILO) as a human right."

"I have seen over many years how workers who have not been able to bargain collectively have suffered at work, and who have been victimised for trying to negotiate with their employer in an organised way. The new legislation will, I believe, make that scenario a thing of the past in Ireland. Most countries in Europe allow for collective bargaining, and Ireland is now on its way to joining those nations in providing for this."