Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Tóibín for his question. As he will be aware, the ongoing programme that the Government is currently implementing to reform the State’s existing workplace relations structures is at quite an advanced stage. While considerable progress has been achieved to date on an administrative basis, the enactment of the workplace relations Bill is a crucial step in achieving the aim of delivering a modern, user-friendly, world-class workplace relations system. The Bill will provide for a range of enhanced compliance measures, including the use of compliance notices, fixed payment notices and a new more robust mechanism for enforcing awards of the workplace relations commission, WRC, adjudicators and Labour Court determinations. This represents a very significant development for working people and will give teeth to the system. It will enhance confidence in the workplace relations system and ensure that the response from the WRC to complaints is proportionate.

The workplace relations Bill is primarily concerned with the establishment of new structures and associated processes. The Bill will provide for the establishment of a new two-tier workplace relations structure comprising two statutorily independent bodies, replacing the current five. The Bill does not propose any substantive changes to existing legislation governing the employment rights of workers. Therefore, the protections currently available to workers under the existing corpus of employment rights legislation will continue to apply to all workers, including workers employed by subcontractors. There is universal application of all of the employment legislation to workers of every description. This existing body of employment law is robust and covers a comprehensive range of employment rights and entitlements which apply to all workers, whether part-time or full-time and whether employed by a subcontractor or another class of employer. Furthermore, the legislation is backed up by a proactive labour inspectorate.

Should employees consider that their statutory employment rights are not being complied with, they should contact workplace relations customer service for information about seeking redress.

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