TRADE union recognition and a national minimum wage are to be introduced in the near future, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Dr Mo Mowlam, has told an ICTU conference in Belfast. Her announcement will increase pressure from the unions for similar measures in the Republic.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, addressed the conference ahead of Dr Mowlam. On the minimum wage issue, he said he had supported the measure for a number of years and on becoming leader of Fianna Fail had taken the opportunity to include it in the party programme.
He hoped the business sector would now also see its merits and accept the widespread recognition that some groups of workers, particularly women and young people in low-paid sectors, needed protection.
On union recognition, Mr Ahern said he was aware of ICTU's concerns. It was one of the issues that the Government will be acting quickly on. I am aware the High Level Group (of unions, employers and his own Department) on Trade Union Recognition has particular relevance for the ICTU. I look forward to constructive engagement on a partnership basis on all the issues that arise," he said.
Mr Ahern assured the unions the new Government would implement Partnership 2000. It was committed to acceptance of employees as stakeholders with "rights and interests" in their employments. Partnership 2000 had set "a sound agenda" for addressing these issues at the level of individual firms.
Commenting afterwards, the assistant general secretary of ICTU, Mr Kevin Duffy, said the present constitutional right of workers to join a union was "shallow and meaningless if those who exercise it can be denied the facility to use the services of the union they join". Good employers had nothing to fear from unions, he said.
And those who exploited their workers "should not be protected by the State, its agencies or by employer organisations". Nor was it fair to deny workers the right to organise because it was claimed that it affects foreign investment. Unions in Ireland "have a proven capacity to work constructively with companies in all sectors of Irish industry".