Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The key or crux is that if it is a voluntary system, we do not have collective bargaining. If, instead of having a voluntary system, the Minister is just substituting a convoluted, complex legal process through which workers are forced to use the courts to try to grab back their rights, this makes it more difficult for workers to ensure their rights are upheld. In all of this, there must be a fair balance between workers' and employers' rights. However, providing a voluntary system where employers can make the decision on whom they will negotiate with negates the heart of collective bargaining and of all the decisions taken by the International Labour Organization, the European Court of Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution. All of these documents point to freedom of association, people being able to represent themselves as workers, and employers' recognition of workers in those efforts.

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