Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Collective bargaining is an important element of ensuring good industrial relations in Ireland. Industrial relations stability comes from a voluntarist system where the State does not seek to impose a solution on the parties to a dispute but will assist them at arriving at one. This approach has served us well in resolving many complex and protracted disputes. However, our laws are very weak when parties refuse to engage.

As the Deputy knows, I appointed a high-level working group under the auspices of the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, to review collective bargaining and the industrial relations landscape. I want to record my appreciation to the group, the employer and trade union representatives and its chairperson, Professor Michael Doherty of Maynooth University, for their hard work in concluding this report. The report was published earlier this month and is now available to the public on my Department’s website.

The report is timely, as we need to keep abreast of developments at EU level, which require us to promote the capacity of social partners to engage in effective collective bargaining systems. The EU directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining was adopted by the European Council on 4 October and I welcome the directive’s focus on strengthening collective bargaining structures in member States.

The way forward is by no means predetermined and we have to work through the various legal hurdles and legislative issues in this area. I have asked my Department to carefully consider the report, consult with stakeholders and develop proposals for the Government in respect of its implementation. These proposals may well include examining how recommendations need to be incorporated into legislation. I am pleased to inform the House that this work is already under way.

I look forward to continuing to engage, through the LEEF, on the issues raised in the report and how we can continue to promote positive industrial relations in Ireland.

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