Workers’ rights cannot be cast aside. Ó Ríordáin MEP calls for action in light of ECJ ruling
Following the initial European court ruling calling for the annulment of the EU Adequate Minimum Wage directive, Dublin MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin is calling for immediate action from the Commission deliver collective bargaining rights for Irish and European workers.
Speaking following the release of the opinion, Ó Ríordáin says:
“I fundamentally disagree with the decision of the European Court of Justice advocate general’s ruling that the EU Adequate Minimum Wage directive is “incompatible” with the EU treaties.
“The principles of social cohesion, workers rights and protections for citizens are cornerstones of our EU values – and they must be defended.
“Alongside colleagues from the S&D Group, I will be calling on the Commission to urgently act to ensure the hard-fought protections delivered for workers in this directive are not abandoned. I’m calling for an urgent discussion on this subject in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, of which I am the sole Irish full member.
“EU governments had until November to transpose the EU Minimum Wage Directive into national law, shamefully the Irish government was among those countries who failed to implement the law.
“One in five workers in Ireland are employed in low-paying jobs, a statistic that has remained unchanged for the past 20 years. Women are disproportionately represented in these roles, highlighting the undervaluation of care-related work.
“Ireland ranks among the lowest in Europe for collective bargaining coverage. Only about 40% of workers are covered by such agreements, significantly below the EU average and far short of the 80% threshold set in the directive. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence of employers actively obstructing trade unions from organising and supporting their members.
“I am calling on the new Irish government to proceed with the implementation of the content of this directive. Irish and European workers deserve a better deal.”
ENDS
Labour is pledging a new deal for workers. We support the full transposition of the provisions of the Adequate Minimum Wages Directive.
We want:
- to put in place a comprehensive programme to promote collective bargaining.
- to ensure workers can exercise their right to collectively bargain.
- to protect workers and trade union representatives against victimisation, and dismissal, and unions against acts of interference.
- to ensure appropriate facilities are provided so that trade union representatives can carry out their role comprehensively.