Vol. 468 No. 4
799 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the measures in place to protect the rights of employees facing redundancy; the procedures in place to monitor the practices adopted by employers in this regard when laying off employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15072/96]
The Protection of Employment Act, 1997, requires that where employers propose to create collective redundancies, detailed in the Act as a proportion of the workforce, they must initiate consultations with the employees' representatives at least 30 days before the first redundancy takes place. The consultation must include the possibility of avoiding the proposed redundancies, reducing the number of employees affected by them or otherwise mitigating their consequences and the basis on which it will be decided which particular employees will be made redundant. For the purpose of the consultations the employer must supply the following information — the reasons for the proposed redundancies, the numbers and description or categories of employees whom it is proposed to make redundant, the number of employees normally employed and the period during which it is proposed number of employees normally employed and the period during which it is proposed to make the proposed redundancies. This information must also be supplied to the Minister. The employer must then notify the Minister for Enterprise and Employment at least 30 days before the first redundancy.
