Mandate supports report on the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022
Wednesday 22 November 2023Mandate Trade Union, the union for bar workers, attended the launch of the Joint Committee on Justice Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 in Dail Eireann on Thursday, November 16th, 2023.
Earlier this year Mandate Trade Union’s then General Secretary Gerry Light and Dublin North Divisional Organiser Jim Fuery attended an Oireachtas hearing on the new Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 on Tuesday, January 31st, 2023, and presented a submission to the Joint Committee on Justice.
Mandate Trade Union welcomes certain aspects of the Committee’s recommendations, in particular recommendations 17-20 which were focal points of the Union’s presentation to the Committee in January of this year. Those four recommendations are cited below.
Recommendation 17
“The committee recommends that an entitlement to statutory collective bargaining rights for workers be guaranteed, which may be necessary arising from this legislation.”
Recommendation 18
“The Committee recommends that current vacancies on the Workplace Relations Commission be filled as soon as possible or that experienced staff within trade unions be enabled to carry out health and safety inspections of workplaces and ensure compliance with workers’ rights.”
Recommendation 19
“The Committee recommends specific legislation be introduced making it an offence to abuse or mistreat bar workers, and/or that there be effective enforcement of current legislation covering assaults, to protect bar staff.”
Recommendation 20
“The Committee recommends that the relevant resources and structures be put in place to ensure that sufficient transport services are provided to cover the extended licensing hours. An examination should also take place to assess how to improve the provision of late-night public transport services, particularly in rural towns and areas throughout the country.”
Mandate Trade Union believes that it is vital that these four recommendations are enshrined into the finalised legislation. The Union intends to lobby and work with politicians to ensure that workers entitlement to statutory collective bargaining rights is guaranteed, that their workplaces are subject to health and safety inspections, that workers have protections in their workplaces which safeguard them from intoxicated fuelled abuse and/or physical assaults, that safe travel to and from workplaces for workers is provided and that compliance with workers’ rights is ensured.
