SIPTU slams SFA's attitude to employment laws
SIPTU has attacked the Small Firms Association over its claims that Ireland's labour laws are so stringent they are preventing job creation.
The association said today that a survey it carried out found that almost 60% of member firms view employment law as a disincentive to hiring new staff.
It claimed laws establishing the rights of employees were too favourable to workers and had left employers with little power to discipline or reprimand their staff.
However, SIPTU president Jack O'Connor said the recent situations at Gama and Irish Ferries showed that Irish employment laws actually needed further strengthening.
He also said the massive levels of job creation in recent years put the lie to the "nonsense" being put forward by the SFA.
"We're living in a country which over the past year has created 93,000 new jobs, which has created more jobs relatively speaking than any other country in Europe over the past 10 years," he said.
