Paul Murphy: Demands Trade Union Freedom North and South
Paul Murphy raised concerns about workers and trade union rights in both the north and the south, arguing existing laws limit solidarity action and organising. He supported the trade union freedom bill introduced by people before profit MLA Jerry Carroll in the north and a mirroring trade union recognition bill introduced at first stage here by people before profit.
Legal barriers in the south
The speaker said the south is governed by the Industrial Relations Act 1990, which bans political strikes, solidarity action, solidarity strikes and secondary picketing and restricts workers' rights to organise.
Legislation in the north
He described the north as operating under what is effectively Thatcher-era legislation with similar effect. He noted the power to change these laws has been devolved to Stormont for more than 20 years, but none of the executive parties have attempted to change them.
Proposed bills and demands
Paul Murphy highlighted that people before profit MLA Jerry Carroll has introduced the trade union freedom bill to scrap those restrictions, give power back to workers to organise, allow solidarity action and make it simpler to take industrial action. He said that a trade union recognition bill introduced at first stage here by people before profit mirrors those aims and represents the shared Ireland he wants to see.
Forum engagement and labour market workstream
He recalled the LEAF forum has met as a space for government engagement with employers and trade unions and held a plenary meeting on the 5th of July. He pointed to a workstream on shared-island labour market dynamics addressing opportunities and impediments for firms, issues facing frontier workers such as remote work, and further areas like higher education, training and skills.
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I want to raise the issue of workers and trade union rights north and south in the south we know were governed by the industrial relations act 1990 which banned political strikes solidarity action solidarity strikes and secondary picketing and restricted right workers rights to organize in the north workers and trade unionists face what is effectively thatcher era legislation with similar effect the power to change these laws have been devolved to Stormont for more than 20 years but none of the executive parties have attempted to change them it's why people before profit MLA Jerry Carroll has introduced the trade union freedom bill which would scrap those restrictions give power back to workers to organize it would allow workers to take solidarity action it would make workers make it simpler for workers to take industrial action and it would give workers greater right to organize in trade unionists it's it's mirrored by the similar bill people for profit have introduced at first stage here the trade union recognition bill that's the kind of shared Ireland that we need to see that's the kind of shared Ireland that we need to see engaging in terms of industrial relations the LEAF forum has met it's just a forum for government to engage with representatives of employers and trade unions and they had a plenary meeting on the 5th of July they've developed a work stream looking at shared island issues deputy Murphy the labour market dynamics deepening understanding of all island labour market issues such as opportunities impediments for firms issues facing frontier workers such as remote work and related issues further in higher education training and skills and so on so there's a healthy workers agenda there and they're there
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