Vol. 504 No. 5
62 Mr. Quinn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the proposals, if any, she has for the major blitz to end exploitation in the hotel and catering industry announced by the Minister of State on 23 April 1999; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12234/99]
As announced in my press release of 23 April 1999, I have initiated a six month long enforcement campaign in the hotel and catering industry, the objective of which is to secure compliance by employers in that sector with the relevant statutory worker protection requirements affecting their employees. The campaign is currently under way involving the full complement of ten labour inspectors to the virtual exclusion of all their other inspection work.
There are a number of distinct elements to the campaign. First, inspectors will conduct random inspections to investigate employers' records and to interview both employers and employees in relation to the compatibility of the terms, conditions and pay of employees with the relevant applicable legislation. In this process a priority will be to ensure that any irregularities discovered are immediately rectified and that, where relevant, arrears of moneys owing to employees are recovered. Legal proceedings will also be instituted, where appropriate, against offending employers.
Second, there will be an educational and information dimension to the campaign. This will involve my inspectors in giving information and advice, where necessary, in relation to the requirements of the law on individual components of worker protection entitlements.
Third, a programme of national and provincial advertisements will be operated in conjunction with and as a complement to the activity of the inspectors. The purpose of these advertisements will be to give a high public profile to the campaign in the hope that due note and timely corrective action will be taken by all non-compliant employers notwithstanding that – by reason of the very resources available to me – an investigation of each and every employer in the sector is simply not possible.
