Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 June 2016
57. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the action she proposes to take to encourage the joint labour committees to sit, formulate and impose employment regulation orders where the JLCs have not met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15831/16]
View answerA Joint Labour Committee (JLC) is composed of equal numbers of representatives of employers and workers in a sector and they meet regularly, under an independent chairman to discuss proposals for terms and conditions to apply to specified grades or categories of workers in the sector. If agreement is reached the JLC publishes details and invites submissions from interested parties. If, after consideration of any submissions received, the Committee adopts the proposals it will submit them to the Labour Court for consideration. The Labour Court will then make a decision on the adoption of the proposals. If the Court decides to adopt the proposals, a copy is presented to the Minister. If the Minister considers it appropriate to do so an Order giving effect to the proposals will be made by the Minister. Such Orders are known as Employment Regulation Orders.
For vulnerable workers, JLCs can agree fair terms and conditions such as wage rates, sick pay and so which are given effect by Employment Regulation Order, while for employers the plus side is that they can agree and set minimum pay and conditions, agree on work practices which are custom-made to their industry – a flexibility which cannot be achieved by primary legislation. Where both parties to a JLC see commonality of purpose and outcome then an agreement may emerge.
The JLC system is only a framework and engagement in it is voluntary on the part of the stakeholders concerned.
