Union boss warns of consequences to Government inaction on EU Directive

Owen Reidy accuses Government of having little interest in Workers issues

Speaking at the Triennial Delegate Conference of the Financial Services Union (FSU), Owen Reidy, General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has questioned the viability, sustainability and credibility of the continuation of the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) if the Adequate Minimum Wages Directive is not implemented properly and warned the Government there would be consequences to their continued inaction on legislating for the high-level group report on collective bargaining.

Speaking on a panel at the FSU conference on collective bargaining Mr. Reidy was damming of the Government’s commitment to two specific and incredibly important workers rights issues, the transposition of the Adequate Minimum Wages Directive and the implementation the high-level report on collective bargaining which was agreed between the social partners and signed off by Cabinet in October 2022.

Mr. Reidy said:

“You cannot go into a process, reach an agreement, and then find 18 months later that there is nothing to show for it. The discussions we are having with the Government have run into the sand. They are going nowhere.”

Continuing about the transposition of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages Mr. Reidy said:

“ If the directive is not implemented properly by the 15^{th of} November and if the high level report is not implemented in a timely fashion there has to be some consequences.

The Government in Brussels voted in favour of the EU Directive on adequate minimum wages and they need to honour that legal agreement now.“

ENDS

Videos of Owen Reidy speaking at conference.

High Level Report: https://www.fsunion.org/assets/files/mp4/high_level_group_report.mp4

Adequate Minimum Wages Directive: https://www.fsunion.org/assets/files/mp4/the_directive.mp4