Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his briefing and update on LEEF. We know the high-level working group on collective bargaining has reported under the auspices of LEEF. Beyond that, can the Taoiseach say what specific measures the Government will take to improve collective bargaining rates and how to provide for that in law? On a related topic, given the forthcoming EU directive on adequate minimum wages gives us two years to transpose it into law and given that it contains specific measures to ensure that where the coverage rate of collective bargaining is below 80% member states must establish an action plan to promote collective bargaining, how does the Government propose taking concrete action to reach 80% given that we currently rank 15 out of 23 countries in collective bargaining coverage with only 33% in Ireland? For the Labour Party this is a huge issue given that in particular we have some of the highest rates of low pay in Europe. The directive on minimum wages and wage setting itself is very welcome but it is also welcome because it will see us having to promote collective bargaining in law and having to move away from the voluntarist model that has characterised collective bargaining for too long in this State.

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