The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) afirms that it recently received a promise from Taoiseach Simon Harris that a crucial European Union directive regarding employment rights will be integrated into the Irish legal system before the deadline of November 15th. Despite this assurance, the body is still apprehensive regarding the extent of proposed legislation related to the directive, as stated by the general secretary of Ictu, Owen Reidy.
A crucial part of the EU directive on minimum wage, aimed at curbing employment poverty and reducing inequality, mandates that national governments advocate collective bargaining. However, contrasting opinions on the interpretation of this provision have been expressed by trade unions and employers.
In case it believes that the Irish government is failing to uphold its responsibilities related to the directive, Ictu, as per Reidy’s statement, would report the government to the European Commission. The legislation, which is due to be integrated into Irish law by November, has been described by Reidy as the most impactful labour legislative change in the last two decades. The secretary hopes that a potential meeting in the next few weeks will provide further clarity on the Taoiseach’s interpretation of the directive.
Reidy expressed his anticipation regarding this directive but also expressed worry about the lack of the same level of enthusiasm in the Department of Enterprise and Employment. He signalled out Ibec’s dismissal of the implications of the directive and acknowledged the uncertainty posed by the government’s inaction. While the promises of integration have been given, the method of integration still lacks clarity and agreement.
Should the government come up short, Reidy asserts, it wouldn’t spell the completion of the ordeal from the union’s standpoint. He believes that although businesses have been vocal about operation costs, the government should also take into account the employee side of the job market. The directive is considered by the union as a potential tool for increasing its recruitment in the private sector, where currently less than 20% of the workforce comprises union members.
Ictu along with associated divisions have recently implemented a public initiative called Better in a Trade Union, with the hopes of enlightening workers about the perks they could potentially offer. Coinciding with May Day, a range of recruitment drives will be organised at various workplaces throughout this week. The campaign witnessed the unions invest approximately €300,000, with Mr Reidy stating the plan is to follow up the campaign with a study on its influence on the public’s perception towards unions.
Mr Reidy emphasised that they don’t expect an immediate influx of members post this campaign, rather, the aim is to enhance knowledge about their work, and then evaluate its effectiveness. He also mentioned that the union’s overall membership has seen an increase of roughly 15,000 members in the last year. This growth, he believes, was stimulated largely by public-sector conflicts in the North. However, Mr Reidy admitted that the proportion of private-sector employees who are members has been decreasing due to the significant increase in employment figures and an inability to keep up with this trend on the recruitment side.
Studies indicate that many more individuals, especially the younger generation, would be inclined to join a union if given the opportunity. Mr Reidy insisted that despite the demand, many employers are preventing them from fulfilling it, and this is why the effective implementation of the directive is critical for them.
He conveyed their advocacy for this in the South and a labour bill in the North, stating that they are “two sides of the same coin”.