The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called on the Government to put workers’ rights and the creation of good, secure jobs at the centre of Ireland’s Presidency of the EU Council.
Congress made the call following a meeting with Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group President Iratxe García Pérez and Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin in Dublin earlier today.
With the Quality Jobs Act and the next phase of the Multiannual Financial Framework both due for negotiation during Ireland’s term, ICTU said the Government has a rare opportunity to embed job quality, fair pay and strong collective bargaining into the EU’s agenda for years to come.
Congress also raised concerns about the proposed "28th regime" for company law, which would create an optional EU-wide alternative to national company law. ICTU said the regime must not become a back door for employers to sidestep national labour law, collective bargaining and worker participation rights, and that any Irish Presidency progress on the file must include the safeguards on employee representation.
ICTU General Secretary Owen Reidy said:
Ireland has an enormous responsibility over the next six months, chairing negotiations that will shape the lives of workers across this continent. A Presidency that focuses solely on ceremony and Ireland’s diplomatic standing will be a missed opportunity. The Irish Government must use to time to ensure the European Union is delivering for working people.
We were pleased to discuss with the S&D Group to what we want to see from this Presidency: real progress on the Quality Jobs agenda, enforcement of pay transparency and collective bargaining commitments, and a Presidency Council table where workers’ voices are heard as loudly as those of employers and the markets.
That is the message we will be bringing to the Irish Government over the course of the Presidency. We were encouraged to hear from Iratxe and Aodhán that the S&D Group share our priorities, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them throughout the coming months.
Every directive negotiated and every compromise brokered under this Presidency will be felt in workplaces here and across Europe. We intend to make sure the voice of working people is not lost in that process"
