ESB row spurs radical overhaul of labour law
The Government is preparing a radical overhaul of employment law, which will involve transforming the labour inspectorate into a standalone body with robust new powers to tackle workplace infringements.
The Sunday Business Post has learned that several major legislative reforms are likely to emerge from the social partnership talks aimed at boosting the enforcement of employment regulations.
There was annoyance in government circles at last week’s revelations that a Polish sub-contractor, ZRE Katowice (Ireland) Construction, breached regulations governing pay rates by under-paying Polish welders and fitters at ESB’s Moneypoint Station in Co Clare.
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin, will examine the possibility of setting up the labour inspectorate as a statutory body with enhanced powers, separate from his own department.
An alternative proposal under consideration is to merge the labour inspectorate, which monitors employment law abuses in the workplace, with the Health & Safety Authority. Senior government sources said Martin believed that ‘‘a robust compliance model does not damage competitiveness, but creates a level playing field for all companies’’.
There is widespread acceptance at government level of the need to boost resources beyond the current 31 inspectors to enhance their powers of investigation, detection and prosecution.
