Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Enterprise Willie O’Dea has today called on the Government to immediately publish the review of JLCs and Registered Employment Agreements, following the leaking of key findings to national media.

 

Responding to a RTE report which outlined the details of the confidential review of wage setting agreements carried out by Labour Court Chairman Kevin Duffy and UCD Professor of Economics Frank Walsh, Deputy O’Dea said: “Given that the findings of the review are already in the public domain, the Government should act immediately to publish it in full. There is nothing to be gained from withholding the detail of this report.

 

Deputy O’Dea added, “Assuming that the leaks are accurate, I support the main finding of the review that JLCs and REAs need to be maintained to protect the living standard of vulnerable workers. However, I also agree that whole system needs to be needs to be streamlined and overhauled. There needs to be more flexibility to accommodate the rapid changes in the market place. Some of the obvious anomalies must also be scrapped.

 

“Any change to the current system, must be underpinned by one basic consideration. It must not involve any redistribution of income away from the poor and in favour of the better off.”