Industrial Relations Act amendments
Deputy Coppinger asks about amending industrial relations law, including protections for workers and garda representation, and alleges intimidation of union activists. The Tánaiste says an industrial relations Bill is being developed.
Is the Tánaiste going to consider amendments to the Industrial Relations Act? There are a couple of Bills outstanding that deal with the representation of workers. Changes are also due to be made to allow gardaí more representation. Any amendment to the Act should outlaw the type of practices that we hear are being carried out by Tesco. It is bullying workers who took part in pickets of other stores represented by the same union. Those workers are now being called in and intimidated. This also happened to Dunnes workers after their recent dispute. They are not allowed representation by their own union on the shop floor. Tesco is apparently calling in workers who may have gone in their own spare time, not in work time, to show solidarity with their colleagues. They are now being victimised. We need anti-victimisation clauses introduced into industrial relations legislation. We need an Industrial Relations Act that is not anti-union but that actually protects workers.
