Employers' organisations last night strongly rejected a call from the Labour Party to agree formally to special pay and conditions for people working over the millennium.
In its "Principles of Agreements for Millennium Work", launched yesterday, Labour said a flat premium rate should be paid to those working between 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve and 7 p.m. on New Year's Day, as well as time off in lieu.
It also wants employers to organise transport to and from work and for workers to be given an opportunity to contact their families by telephone.
The party's spokesman on enterprise, trade and employment, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said the precise level of pay for work over the New Year was a matter which would ultimately be agreed between individual employers and workers. But given that most employees were paid double time for work on a regular New Year's Day and other bank holidays, it was not unreasonable for them to expect some extra payment to mark this special event.
"There has been enormous hype surrounding the millennium celebrations," he said. "Gala balls, banquets and a host of other entertainment events are already being organised. Tickets for these events are being pitched at as much as £1,000. "However, in order for these events to be a success, party-goers will rely on the hard work of bar and catering staff. Those who will be sweating it out so that we can enjoy the party of a lifetime deserve to get a good share of the profits on the night." Mr Rabbitte said healthcare workers, gardai, maintenance workers as well as those in the service sector, deserved to be rewarded for the sacrifices they made on the night of the millennium celebrations.
He said the fairest way of paying a premium rate would be through a once-off flat rate for all millennium workers. That would mean, for example, the sacrifice a ward orderly was making would be treated the same way as the sacrifice which a nurse or doctor made.
If a flat rate was not paid, hourly rates of treble or quadruple the normal would not be unrealistic, said Mr Rabbitte.
Both IBEC and the Small Firms' Association rejected the Labour Party call. A spokeswoman for IBEC said the organisation was recommending that businesses make no special payments to employees working on New Year's Eve. "Businesses will already be paying premium rates because New Year's Eve has been declared a Bank Holiday. Special claims are opportunistic and unrealistic."
The director of the Small Firms' Association, Mr Pat Delaney, said the extra bank holiday was already costing employers £150 million.