The operation of the joint labour committees that functioned as the wage-setting mechanism was suspended in July 2011 following a successful constitutional challenge brought by a group of employers in the catering sector. The Government subsequently introduced legislation in 2012 under which a review of individual joint labour committees was to be established. The employers do not want to retain what it described as the out-dated joint labour committee wage setting system. But, the trade unions have welcomed the reinstatement of a tradition that provides a framework within which employee representatives can come together to negotiate terms and conditions for workers in their respective sectors. The JLC-work will set basic levels of pay, above the minimum wage, for tens of thousands of low paid workers.
English: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/number-of-sectors-covered ...
http://www.mandate.ie/news/Mandate/999/mandate-and-siptu-welcome-reinstatement ...
For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the communications officer at the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. For previous issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit http://www.etui.org/E-Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net.