Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

That has been an obvious case. They have probably been lobbying the Labour Party on the issue as well. An independent review will take place on employment regulation orders, EROs, registered employment agreements, REAs, and joint labour committees, JLCs, as well, which is at a level above the minimum wage. All of those issues are about adjustments in costs, including labour costs, in order to ensure that we maximise the number we keep in work at a time when the trading environment is very difficult and that over time we will see wage rates rise again when our prospects and the economy improve again. That has happened in many parts of the economic cycle. It is a question of making sure that we have maximum flexibility in the labour markets.

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