Ó Ríordáin: Workers win in EU courts! No more excuses – Government must strengthen collective bargaining and tackle low pay now
Ó Ríordáin: Workers win in EU courts! No more excuses – Government must strengthen collective bargaining and tackle low pay now - The Labour Party
The European Court of Justice has today upheld the validity of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, confirming once and for all that the EU can act to guarantee fair wages and promote collective bargaining. The judgment secures all provisions requiring Member States with low coverage to adopt national action plans to raise collective bargaining levels.
Speaking following the announcement of the judgement, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin MEP, the only Irish full member of the European Parliament Employment Committee, said:
“Today’s judgment is a landmark moment for workers’ rights in Europe. It puts beyond any doubt that fair pay and collective bargaining are at the heart of the European social model. The Court has been crystal clear: governments must act to strengthen workers’ bargaining power and ensure that every worker earns a wage that meets the threshold of decency.
“The Government finally published its collective bargaining action plan last week – what matters now is action. We have yet to see any sign of the political will, timelines, or enforcement needed to deliver it in full. Workers cannot afford another strategy that gathers dust. Ireland needs decisive measures to raise collective bargaining coverage, strengthen union access, and make the right to organise a lived reality rather than an aspiration.
“Collective bargaining – the cornerstone of fair pay – remains chronically underused in Ireland. Barely four in ten workers are covered by collective agreements, far below the EU average and just half the 80% benchmark required. That gap isn’t accidental. Across the country, there is mounting evidence of employers using aggressive tactics to block trade union access, intimidate organisers, and undermine the basic right of workers to come together and negotiate better pay and conditions.
“This ruling ends all excuses. Ireland now has full legal certainty to act – and must do so without delay. The Government must now act to genuinely increase collective bargaining coverage, protect trade-union rights, and ensure that low-paid workers are no longer left behind.
“Workers deserve better than lectures about competitiveness. They deserve a Government that believes in their worth, in their right to a fair wage, and in their power to bargain for a better life. Europe has shown the way. It’s time for Ireland to catch up.”