Rose Conway-Walsh demands action plan on collective bargaining

Minister, my third question relates to the publication of the action plan on collective bargaining that underpins the EU directive on adequate minimum wages. When will we see the contents of this plan and what is the timeline for the delivery of the underpinning of legislation? There is a commitment in the programme for government to finalise this action plan by the end of 2025. It is October next week Minister and you are running out of road in this regard. Thank you very much and I appreciate Deputy Conor Walsh's question. In a very important area for us of Government and one that we have committed for under the programme for Government to finalise the action plan on the promotion of collective bargaining by the end of 2025 in line with the EU directive on adequate minimum wages. Work on developing the plan in conjunction with our social partners is currently ongoing. Under Article 4, the directive aims to promote collective bargaining on wages in all Member States. Each Member State in which collective bargaining coverage is less than a threshold of 80 per cent, as is in the majority of States including Ireland, shall provide for a framework of enabling conditions for collective bargaining and shall also establish an action plan to promote collective bargaining by the end of 2025. The European Commission Expert Group report on transposition of the directive is clear that the design of the framework of enabling conditions and the content of the action plan is entirely up to Member States in consultation with the social partners. A technical group has been established in the department with officials and the social partners to examine what will be considered for inclusion in Ireland's plan which has met regularly this year. The work of the group is now at an advanced stage and is essential in developing the content of the action plan and have met as recently as last week and will be meeting again shortly. I expect the plan on collective bargaining to be published over the next couple of months once this work has completed. We also were very clear in relation to the case that was coming forward in relation to the adequate minimum wave directive. I made it very clear irrespective of the result of that we are pressing ahead and we will have our plan together. I do note in relation to the consultation that was open from the 14th of April to the 12th of May that we had about 80 valid submissions in that we have responded to and working with our social partners and through the structure, the leaf structure as well, which is very important. So while I know the outworks of the plan, there will also be a challenge on both sides but I want to get the best plan we can by the end of the year and I am very committed to achieving that. I think this is absolutely critical because we are at a juncture of how we shape our economy going forward and we cannot have an economy without workers and I think we need to stop this workers versus employers because the benefits of collective bargaining are huge. I want to commend the campaign that has been run and indeed the presentation that was made yesterday in the AV room by the unions, by the Congress of Trade Unions in particular in relation to this. Because people will be surprised to see that although there is a constitutional right for someone to be part of a union there is no obligation, no legal obligation on the employer to engage with that union. So we have an imbalance there that absolutely needs to be addressed. Because investing in SMEs and micro-business to rescue jobs and protect our communities should be a priority for all parties. It is certainly a priority for Sinn Féin. Thank you and I thank Deputy Rawls-Kammer Walsh again for her comments on the matter. It is one area as I said through the programme for Government that we are very much committed to and you quite rightly talk about the participation in the various different fora and there will be deliberations that are ongoing on that and how we can address it in our action plan. We will absolutely be doing that. I have to say through the LEAF structure that we have got a lot out of it in terms of the social partners. It is a good mechanism to air these issues and you won't solve everything and I can be absolutely honest about that. But we will give our best effort to this plan I think to build confidence to show Government's capacity irrespective of the uncertainty that was there through the legal challenge we have committed to pressing ahead. I think that is an important statement on how we value workers, how we value their right to collective bargaining and how we want to give people that opportunity and place the conditions that it can grow. Thank you Minister. Deputy. Thank you Minister. Six of the top 10 FDI companies enable union representation and we know for a fact that it increases respect for management. That increases as union recognition increases as well. We need to take a lead as well and heed of the Good Jobs Bill in the North because that is really making inroads in this area in terms of union recognition. As a party, Sinn Féin has long stood in support of trade union recognition and the fundamental right of workers to be represented by their unions. I do want to acknowledge the work of my colleague Deputy Louise O'Reilly in this area and indeed my former colleague Senator Paul Gavin with regard to support and progression of trade unions and trade union representatives. We on this side of the House are committed to the rights of workers right across this island and again I think it speaks to the all island economy where we need congruence of workers' rights across the island as well. Quality jobs are so important in our economy and I think that will be one of the areas we will focus on during our term as President of the EU in the second half of next year. That will give us a key opportunity because we must remember in the action plan and under the Adequate Minimum Wage Directive. You know, MEPs from my own party, Regina Doherty and others, played a huge role in really working on that directive and getting agreement in the European Parliament. So we are very much keen to try and bring forward the best possible plan that we can and also when our term comes in the EU Presidency that we do focus on high quality work because that's what our economy should be about and that's why we are very focused on at all times and you know, I know in part of the last number of governments in relation to the huge improvements we have for lower paid workers and that has to be acknowledged. When people challenge us on areas they want improvement on, you have to acknowledge that we have had to ban zero-hour contracts which were totally wrong, we have brought in tips legislation to protect vulnerable workers, we have a sick pay scheme now, we have auto-enrolment which will really future-proof people and their retirement plans and the States stepping up to the mark over the next number of years. So those are key improvements in the economy that you are watching out for lower paid workers but also you are trying to enhance the capacity to get more high quality jobs in which is critical for us all to realise our ambition in life. Thank you, Minister. Thanks.