THE GOVERNMENT has accepted the principle of a Fianna Fáil Bill to provide legal protection for low-paid workers but will not expedite its passage through the Oireachtas before the summer break.
Fianna Fáil tabled the Bill in Private Members’ business in the Dáil last night to provide protection for workers in regulated sectors who are affected by a recent High Court judgment.
The party called on the Government parties to support its effort to provide temporary protections for hundreds of thousands of workers after the court found that the system by which their terms and conditions are set is unconstitutional.
Fianna Fáil spokesman on jobs Willie O’Dea said the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill would provide a real test for Labour deputies who were prominent in criticising the proposals of Minister for Jobs and Enterprise Richard Bruton in this area.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said in the Dáil that he accepted the principle of the Bill, but his legal advice was that it was not sufficiently robust to deal with the issues raised by the court. He promised the Government would prioritise “adequate and comprehensive” legislation of its own, to be published in early in the autumn.
Mr O’Dea said his Bill would give reassurance to 250,000 workers who were facing a summer of uncertainty and would prevent a small minority of employers from exploiting the situation. “The Government has reneged on its promise to immediately address this, so Fianna Fáil has taken the decision to introduce this emergency legislation to remove uncertainty and protect these people.”
Colm Keaveney, one of the Labour TDs who have been critical of Mr Bruton on the issue, said the Fianna Fáil Bill was inadequate and a comprehensive approach was needed after the summer.