Industrial Relations
Pay levels and other conditions of
employment are agreed on through collective bargaining between employers
and employees. Some areas, such as working hours, safety, and holidays,
are defined by law. While there are minimum pay rates for some specified
occupations, there is no national minimum wage. The constitution guarantees
the right of citizens to form associations and unions and the right
to strike. Although legislation does not permit closed shops, most
Irish industries are unionised. American subsidiaries are not normally
unionised since the firms offer more attractive working conditions,
a growing employment career path, and competitive wages. Multiple
union representation is common on the shop floor but with few jurisdictional
disputes.
Since its establishment in 1959, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
(ICTU) has been the co-ordinating body for trade union activity and
includes unions in Northern Ireland as well as in the Republic. About
45 percent of the labour force is unionised. There are over 80 trade
unions affiliated with the ICTU for a combined membership of 663,000.Although
ICTU member unions account for more than 90 percent of all membership,
there are some unaffiliated unions. In the area of collective bargaining,
ICTU's role is limited to announcing pay guidelines with negotiations
carried out by the individual unions and management. The ICTU also
works to promote labour's positions on economic and social issues.
The ICTU seeks job creation as the prime government policy objective,
to reduce the tax burden on salaried workers, and gain greater social
welfare assistance.
Business interests are represented primarily by the federated union
of Employers (FUE). The FUE represents the viewpoint of employers
to government and works on industrial relations, safety, training,
as well as labour negotiations. Over 3,000 firms and organisations
are represented by FUE.
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Workers Advisory Councils
The appointment of workers
on the corporate board or establishment of joint employer/worker councils,
as found in some other European countries, is not common in Ireland
and would be a matter of negotiation between management and the union.
Such councils are found only in a few large firms and are considered
in terms of a forum or means of communication. Irish legislation provides
for worker participation on the boards of several semi-public enterprises,but
this legislation is not applicable to private firms.
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Work Hours
Factories usually begin work
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.;business offices start between 8:45
a.m. and 9:30 a.m. The length of the workweek is from 37 to 40 hours
with overtime for Sundays and holidays. Under the terms of the Holidays
(Employees) Act of 1973, all full-time employees must be given 3 weeks
paid vacations plus the statutory public holidays. Most firms now
provide 21days of annual vacation to full-time permanent workers.
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Equal Opportunity
Ireland complies with
EC directives on employment by adopting the directives into national
legislation. Equal pay legislation requires that a female be paid
the same rate as a male for doing similar work and that employers
do not discriminate based on sex or marital status.
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Termination of Employment
Legislation
regulates the terms of dismissal of employees. The minimum Notice
and Terms of Employment Act, 1973, requires a minimum notice of 1
week after 13 weeks of service and up to 8 weeks after15 years of
service. The act does not abridge the right to terminate an employment
contract without notice because of misconduct or inefficiency.
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Work Permits
Work permits
are not required for EC nationals, but are required for nationals
of other nations including the United States. Persons going to Ireland
to take up employment are urged to have a position established and
a work permit already issued. The firm interested in employing a worker
from a non-EC country must make the application to the Department
of Labour, Davitt House, Mespil Road, Dublin4, which will determine
if suitable qualified applicants for the position are available locally.
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