Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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30. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is aware of a campaign by a union (details supplied); if his or other Departments are working on the issues raised by the union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29895/24]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the Respect at Work campaign which is seeking new protections for workers seeking to organise in their workplaces.

These proposals will be considered in the context of Ireland’s publication of an Action Plan to promote collective bargaining as required by the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages.

Article 4 of the Directive, Promotion of Collective Bargaining on Wage Setting, aims to promote collective bargaining on wages in all Member States. The Directive requires Member States in which the collective bargaining coverage rate is less than 80% to provide “for a framework of enabling conditions for collective bargaining” and to publish an Action Plan to promote collective bargaining. The deadline for the Action Plan to be submitted to the Commission is the end of 2025. However, it is intended to publish it ahead of that date.

A technical working group has been established with Department officials and the social partners, including SIPTU representatives, to consider the content of Ireland’s Action Plan. The working group has had three meetings to date, most recently on 8th July, and has received proposals including some of the issues raised in the ‘Respect at Work’ campaign, including legal protections for trade union members and trade union access to workplaces.

Minister Burke met with the social partners in the context of the Labour Employer Economic Forum Plenary meeting held on 24th June 2024 at which Ireland’s Action Plan was discussed. It will be further discussed at a meeting I will chair in July on the Report of the LEEF High Level Group on Collective Bargaining Report and at a meeting of the LEEF Subgroup on Employment and Enterprise which Minister Burke will chair in September.

I would like to stress that the Government fully supports the right of any worker to join and be active in their trade union. Employees have the right under the Constitution to form associations and trade unions. Under Irish legislation, an employee cannot be discriminated against or dismissed because they are a member of a trade union.