Mandate calls for statutory collective bargaining rights in Ireland
Tuesday 24 April 2018Mandate Trade Union Assistant General Secretary Gerry Light has today (Tuesday, 24th April 2018) condemned the “anti-union behaviour of employers such as Dunnes, Tesco, Paddy Power, Lloyds Pharmacy, IKEA, TK Maxx, Lidl and Aldi” and called for statutory collective bargaining rights for workers in Ireland.
Speaking to 300 shopworkers and bar workers at the Mandate conference in Wexford, Mr Light said the entire trade union movement needs to mobilise ahead of the next election to make sure that workers’ have a stronger voice in the workplace.
“In recent years employers have decided, probably in collaboration with each other, to hide behind an extreme interpretation of the voluntarist industrial relations model of engagement,” said Mr Light.
“They believe that volunteerism means an absolute right of not having to engage with workers’ representatives when requested to do so. Such an approach also has the effect of rendering the value of a workers constitutional right to association to that of junk status. The balance as it currently exists is totally skewed in favour of the employer.”
Ireland is one of the only countries in the European Union without a legislated right to collective bargaining. Mr Light says a “voluntarist model only works when both sides are prepared to volunteer to engage, and whilst trade union’s are always happy to negotiate, employers are increasingly refusing to participate in the process.”
He added, “In recent months Mandate members have seen high profile and highly profitable employers ignore their human right to be represented by a trade union of their choice.
“Dunnes Stores have been consistent in ignoring not only Mandate, but also the Labour Court and the state’s industrial relations mechanisms,” he said. “However, now we see Tesco, Paddy Power, LloydsPharmacy, IKEA, TK Maxx, Lidl and Aldi, to name but a few who are refusing to engage with workers through their union.”
Anticipating resistance from employers’ representatives who are expected to vigorously campaign against stronger workers’ rights, Mr Light said they only had themselves to blame.
“Do they never stop for one moment to recognise and accept that the momentum for such change comes from the behaviour of their own members like Dunnes who constantly refuse to reasonably recognise the legitimate right of their workers to be represented by a Trade Union.”
He added, “Employers cannot have it both ways. They cannot be allowed to refuse to collectively bargain whilst at the same time bemoan and fight against the introduction of statutory measures designed to protect some of the most vulnerable workers in our society.
Mr Light concluded, “So let IBEC go knock on their member’s doors and explain that the potential introduction of new legislation is only coming to the fore because of their behaviour.”
