Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020
441. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has engaged with an airline (details supplied), workers and their trade unions on the possibility of job losses at the airline. [17142/20]
View answerMy sincere thoughts are with all employers and employees faced with the prospect of forced restructuring and redundancies at this difficult time. Many sectors and industries have been badly affected by the measures the Irish Government, like many other governments across the globe, has had to take in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is probably fair to say that sectors associated with travel, tourism and aviation have been affected more than most.
Having come through previous difficulties, I understand how difficult it must be for the employees involved to now face more renegotiations, restructuring and possibly lay-offs. I greatly respect the efforts of workers and workers’ representatives to ensure that they get the best possible outcome from the situation. I wish to assure the affected workers that my Department is available through its Intreo service to assist them in whatever way we can in terms of income supports and job-seeking over the coming weeks and months.
The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes a number of obligations on employers who are proposing collective redundancies, including an obligation under sections 9 and 10 to engage in an information and consultation process with employees’ representatives and to provide certain information relating to the proposed redundancies. Section 11A of the Act provides that, where an employee believes the employer to be in breach of sections 9 or 10, they may pursue a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission. It is an offence under the Act for an employer to fail to comply with sections 9 or 10.
There is also an obligation under section 12 which makes it mandatory on employers proposing a collective redundancy to notify the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection of the proposed collective redundancy. I received official notification of the proposed collective redundancies in the company concerned in letters dated 23rd March and 19th June 2020, which my officials inform me complied with the requirements under section 12 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
