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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

Collective bargaining law

Summary

David Cullinane calls for amendment of the 2015 collective bargaining legislation, citing Tesco workers’ lack of union access. The Taoiseach says the legislation should first be fully tested.

I ask the Taoiseach if there is any intention on the Government's part to amend the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015, which was the collective bargaining Act? It does not allow for trade union recognition. It is a form of yellow-pack collective bargaining. To mention the Tesco dispute, about which the Taoiseach responded earlier, one of the problems the Mandate trade union officials have is that they are denied the right to access any of the shops which would allow them go in, negotiate and deal with the workers. That is no way to ensure we have proper workers' rights. We want proper right of access for qualified trade union officials who have a job to do in representing their members in the workplace. That will only happen if we strengthen workers' rights, as Deputy Adams said earlier, and if we amend the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015 to allow for the right to access, the strengthening of collective bargaining provisions and trade union recognition. Is that the Taoiseach's intention?

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Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

The Act in question was amended in 2015 after a great deal of discussion. It was accepted and passed by the House. That should be tested fully. Trade unions and their officials have their rights, as indeed have companies. The Bill was drafted on the basis of discussions about that very issue, and it should be tested to the full in the first instance.

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