Peter Burke: Progress on Collective Bargaining and Work Rights

Go raibh maith agat, lasca choirleach. I move amendment number one. Recent action by this government has resulted in improved conditions for workers and we have driven much positive and progressive changes over the last few years. I would like to take the opportunity to speak about some of these this evening. Firstly, I must point out that there is no constitutional or legal impediment which prevents parties who wish to exercise their right to collectively bargain from freely doing so in Ireland. There is an extensive range of statutory provisions designed to back up the voluntary bargaining process. Ireland's Action Plan to Promote Collective Bargaining, launched in November 2025, demonstrates the government's clear commitment to strengthening the industrial relations framework and improving the quality of working life. Implementation of the Action Plan is well underway and is overseen by a technical subgroup consisting of officials from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the social partners. The subgroup meets on a regular basis to provide structured oversight, monitor progress and ensure the phased implementation of actions in a manner that remains responsive to emerging issues and stakeholder feedback. This governance arrangement supports effective delivery of the Action Plan while maintaining flexibility to adapt to evolving labour market and policy priorities. At the heart of the plan are 22 targeted actions across five strategic pillars. These focus on strengthening the evidence base for collective bargaining, building capacity and awareness, promoting good collective bargaining practices, protecting existing rights and reinforcing the key institutions that support our industrial relations system. A mid-term review in 2028 will allow us to assess progress and ensure that the Action Plan remains responsive to a changing and dynamic labour market. Officials in my department have initiated discussions with the Office of Government Procurement to determine the practical steps for implementing a pilot project which would examine the incorporation of collectively bargained agreements as a waiting factor for the public procurement process. Progress is also underway to identify reward best practices by employers in the space of collective bargaining. There has been a significant and lasting shift in attitudes towards remote working in recent years. Central Statistics Office data shows that nearly 1 million people were working from home either usually or sometimes in the fourth quarter of 2025 and that figure has remained broadly stable since the pandemic. Recognising the changing dynamics of the workplace, the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provision Act 2023 provides all workers the right to request remote working in March 2024. Ireland was among the first in the EU to introduce a right to request remote working. The legislation is accompanied by a code of practice which provides guidance for employers and employees on how to comply with this legislation. My department just recently concluded statutory review of the operation of the right to request remote working legislation and a report of the review was laid before the Houses on the 5th of March this year. The findings of the review were informed by a nationally representative survey, a public consultation which reached over 8,000 responses and engagement with the Workplace Relations Commission, employer and employee representatives and the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality. The review found that when used the legislation works effectively. 94% of requests are approved either fully or partially demonstrating that the legislation can facilitate compromise. The reported level of administrative burden is also low. However, a key finding in the challenge is awareness with fewer than half employees being aware of their right to request remote working. To address this funding and finding the options by review, the department will implement recommendations from this review including a national information campaign to drive awareness and encourage increased use of the legislation. We will also request the WRC to revise the code of practice to support the use of the legislation. These actions complement the range of measures the government is undertaking to facilitate and encourage uptake of remote and flexible working including the code of practice and the right to disconnect, the tax deduction for home working which was placed on a statutory basis in January 2022, the national hub network which has been underpinned by significant government investment and the completion and installation of high-speed fibre broadband. These measures are accompanied by supports for flexible working including the revised code of practice to access part-time working which was signed into law in January this year. The revised code was prepared by the workplace relations commission in consultation with the social partners. The updated code provides practical guidance to help employers and employees agree part-time arrangements and support flexible and modern workplaces. Irish employment rights legislation has also been progressive in terms of prohibiting zero-hour contracts in most cases and the provision of banded hours to enable workers obtain more secure and predictable working hours. These provisions were introduced in 2018 through the employment miscellaneous provision act amending the organisation of working time act. Under the act zero-hour contracts are largely prohibited except for genuine casual or emergency work. Where zero-hour contracts are permitted employees are entitled to compensation if required to be available but not given work. The act also provides for a right for employee whose contract of employment does not reflect the reality of the hours that they normally work. An employee who believes their contract does not reflect the hours that they have consistently worked over the previous 12 months of service may request to be placed on a band of hours that better reflects the hours that they have worked regularly. These provisions significantly improve the predictability and security of working hours for employees. The introduction of the statutory sick leave in January 2023 marked a key policy development for Ireland. For the first time employees received a statutory right to employer paid sick leave. It gives workers an income protection for up to five days in the calendar year should they be unfit for work paid at 70% of gross earnings up to a daily cap of 110 euro. That provides for for crucial safety net to workers who become ill. It again underscores the government's commitment to progressive employment law and the protection and welfare and well-being of Ireland's workforce. Originally three days the entitlement was increased to five days in 2024. Since the introduction of the Sick Leave Act in 2023 and the subsequent increase in sick leave entitlement to five days in 2024, business owners and representative organisations particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors have consistently raised concerns about the cumulative impact of such regulatory measures in the light of rising labour input and energy costs. Research conducted by the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service along with officials in the department showed the firms in retail accommodation and food service sectors would likely have been more affected if the statutory leave entitlement increased from five to seven days. The research was published on the DETI website on Monday the 14th of April. On that basis of this research I made the decision that five days sick leave strikes the right balance. It gives workers income protection for five days after which illness benefit is also there to support them. Turning to the introduction of the living wage I want to make clear from the outset that the government remains fully committed to ensuring fair wages for low-paid workers in our economy and I also want to highlight the real progress we have made in raising the minimum wage in recent years by substantial increases. Since 2020 the national minimum wage has increased by 40 percent from 10 euro 10 cent to today's rate of 14 euro 15 an hour. This includes 12 percent of an increase in 2024, a further increase of 6 percent in 2025, an additional increase of almost five percent at the start of this year. These increases were well ahead of inflation and delivered substantial real wage growth to the lowest paid workers in our economy. The government is committed to the progression of a living wage set at 60 percent of the median hourly wages during its lifetime and is committed to promoting positive working conditions across the economy. However it is also important to maintain regulatory environment and allow business to remain viable to continue to provide quality jobs. It was in this context last year as part of measures designed to bolster resilience and support competitiveness the government agreed to adjust the time frame to its progression until 2029. The decision should be considered in the context of recent significant increases in the minimum wage as I have already outlined and the progress achieved in reaching a living wage. The low pay commission has estimated that the 2025 national minimum wage represented just under 60 percent of the median hourly earnings using the CSO earnings data and approximately 56 percent using the labor force survey data underlining the significant progress that has already been achieved. The government must therefore believes that any further increase in the national minimum wage must continue to be managed in a sustainable way and one that does not threaten employment or competitiveness. This is particularly important to sectors such as hospitality, food services, retail where employers continue to face significant cost pressures in respect of labor and regulatory costs and energy costs. The government's objective is to support low paid workers while also protecting the viabilities of business that that employed in. The government carefully considers the recommendations of the low pay commission upon determining the appropriate national minimum wage. The commission when making its recommendation for minimum wage has a statutory obligation in this regard.