Wages Battle underway for thousands of Workers One of the most important battles over the wages and conditions of thousands of workers is now taking place in the halls of power. The focus point for this struggle is the Government’s current review of the operation of Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) and Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) – explain what they are. The system, which was first established in the 1930s and has been continually adapted to meet the needs of the times, sets the wages and conditions of approximately 240,000 workers, 100,000 of whom are employed in the retail grocery sector.
lobbying no doubt heavily influenced
The decision to undertake a review of the JLCs and EROs was one of the desperate measures introduced in the dying days of the previous Government as part of the IMF/EU bailout terms. The terms of the review set the “continued relevance” and “impact of EROs on labour market flexibility” as the standard against which the system was to be judged.
Accusing the employers’ groups of operating a ‘blatant’ double standard he continued: “During periods of economic boom, employers have been quite happy to accept the wage rates set by the JLCs because they act as an effective ceiling on wages in sectors such as retail and restaurants. However, during recessionary times they aren’t prepared to accept the same wage levels despite the fact that they provide a very effective protective floor to ensure that low paid workers don’t fall into poverty or are not exploited.”
Mandate’s Response Mandate, Assistant General Secretary, Gerry Light says that it is vitally important that this review must be transparent and inclusive of the perspectives of all vested interests – not just the various employers’ groups that have been campaigning to drive down the wage rates of low paid workers. “It is somewhat ironic that one of the
the last Government’s decision to cut the Minimum Wage by €1 per hour.”
a legal challenge in the High Court over the constitutionality of the JLC system. In protest at this aggressive and miserly action, workers from the Restaurant and Catering Workers Forum – established by SIPTU and the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) – launched protests outside fast food outlets up and down the country. MRCI Director, Siobhan O’Donoghue, stated: "Restaurant workers are already struggling to support their families. Hours have been cut, and many workers
Gerry Light concluded by warning employers and the Government that reducing the wages of low paid workers would be counterproductive as it would depress consumer spending in the domestic economy, reduce growth even further and make it harder for Ireland to achieve debt sustainability.
have seen their wages cut too. Any more cuts would be disastrous for working people. We are here today to protest against the Quick Service Food Alliance’s attack on minimum wages. If they win their case the lives of restaurant workers and the lives of thousands of others working under the JLC rates will be reduced to misery.”
Restaurant and Catering Workers Forum protesting outside Supermacs on O’Connell St. Dublin
main arguments being put forward by the employers’ organisations for the
Fast Food Employers
eradication of the JLC structure is that
Unfortunately, members of the Quick Service Food Alliance – which represents highly profitable fast food outlets like Burger King, Supermacs and Eddie Rockets – couldn’t even wait for the findings of the review and started
it is no longer required because of the existence of an adequate statutory National Minimum Wage. These are the very same groups whose intense 11
MANDATE and the hundreds of thousands of workers dependent on the JLCs and EROs for setting their wage rates will be waiting with the interest to see how this court case pans out as well as the Government’s review.
MANDATE NEWS / Summer 2011