Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

This morning, the European Court of Justice gave its decision on the Laval case involving Swedish trade unions and Latvian companies which carried out certain public works in Sweden. Many of the issues involved in the case are similar to the issues that arose during the Irish Ferries matter here a couple of years ago. The import of the judgment as I understand it is that the court found that while Swedish trade unions were entitled to enforce legally binding pay and conditions of employment, they were not entitled to seek to enforce conditions of employment in excess of those which were legally binding.

The implications of this for Ireland would be such that trade unions in similar circumstances might be entitled to enforce the minimum wage or registered agreements but nothing in excess of this. Given the significance of this judgment for our voluntary system of industrial relations — I appreciate the judgment was only given this morning — has the Taoiseach given preliminary consideration to the judgment and will we have an opportunity to discuss the judgment in the House at an early date in the new year?

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