Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 8 February 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
European Work Councils and Legislative Provisions for Dispute Procedures: Discussion (Resumed)
Dr. Jonathan Lavelle:
What is required was discussed at the most recent meeting.
However, that is very specific. The concern, really, among EWCs is the broader issue of means. Do EWCs have the means to do what they should and have to do? Fixing the route is a very specific issue, but there are wider issues around the statutory and financial means. Mr. Sack outlined a very good example of access to enforcement. If one cannot afford the costs of legal representation, works councils will not be given the means to do what they need to do. The broader issue is the need to look at our legislation. Does it provide the means for EWCs to do what they need to do? It is broader than what was being discussed at the last meeting. That is my understanding.