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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 3 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 7

Written Answers - Sunday Trading.

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

40 Mr. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will review the recently issued code of practice on Sunday trading in view of the high level of complaints concerning lack of consultation with the trade union movement. [26126/98]

A new code of practice on Sunday working in the retail sector, prepared at my request by the Labour Relations Commission, was declared by order signed by me on 19 November 1998, to be a code of practice for purposes of the Sunday working supplemental provisions of section 14 of the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997. Copies of the code of practice were lodged in the Oireachtas Library on 23 November last and publication of the code was formally launched on 25 November.

Neither I nor my Department have received any complaints alleging lack of consultation with the trade union movement in regard to preparation of the code. Contrary to the implication in the Deputy's question, throughout the entire process leading to publication of the code both I and the Labour Relations Commission ensured consistent and comprehensive consultations with all interested parties, both on the employer and on the union-worker sides.
The code of practice was the eventual culmination of a discussion process which I initiated in January last between IBEC and trade union interests, including the unions primarily concerned, SIPTU and MANDATE, under an agreed independent chairman to address the difficulties on the employment front associated with the growing practice of Sunday trading. In that process the sides accepted — and this was reflected in the chairman's report to me — that a code of practice along lines proposed by the chairman's could, without prejudicing the fundamental position of either side, form the basis of a common and voluntary approach to practice in relation to retail sector Sunday working. Given this spirit of partnership and co-operation between the sides, I am confident that the code of practice which has only just been put in place will have a beneficial impact in the workplace as employers and employees apply its provisions to the operational arrangements relating to Sunday working in the retail trade. Accordingly, I have no plans at present to carry out a review of the code.
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