The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has threatened to publish the names of shopowners, publicans and hoteliers who refuse to give study time off to second-level pupil employees due to sit their Leaving Certificate examinations in June.
The ICTU industrial officer, Mr Liam Berney, has described the behaviour of some employers on this issue as "scandalous". "Pupils who are sitting their Leaving Certificate examinations in June have been told that if they stop working for the month of May to study, they are unlikely to get their job back when the exams finish.
"Congress is calling on these employers to give the pupils time off to prepare for this important exam and a guarantee that it will not affect their chances of getting their job back at the end of June. If they are not prepared to show such basic decency at a time of great stress for pupils, then Congress will publish their names and let consumers know what they think of such behaviour."
Mr Berney was speaking yesterday at a meeting of the SWAY (Skills Work and Youth) project in Dublin. He also welcomed the announcement by the Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, that the industrial inspectorate will carry out a detailed investigation of conditions in the hotel and catering industry.
He said trade union youth groups around the State were receiving daily complaints about illegal practices in the sector.