Mandate, the bar workers' union, has warned the Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, that it will strongly oppose any attempt by the Government and publicans to extend working hours in pubs for staff under 18 from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Publicans sought a derogation from the Protection of Young Persons Act, which governs working hours for minors, when they met Mr Kitt recently.
Mandate's national official, Mr John Douglas, said yesterday that his union could not agree to such a derogation, when the law was already being broken with impunity because of inadequate enforcement. Far more urgent was the need for "a complete overhaul of the State's labour inspectorate", he said.
"At the moment there are 10 labour inspectors, some of whom are part-time, to cover the whole country."
He called on the Government to "set up a new independent labour inspection agency, like the Health and Safety Authority, with adequate staffing and budget. In addition, officials of trade unions and employers' organisations should be empowered to act as agents of such an inspectorate."
He accused Mr Kitt of "sending the wrong signal to pub owners" by even considering such a move. "We in Mandate know from our own experience that 15- and 16-year-old lounge staff are being regularly turned out from the pubs after one o'clock in the morning."
However, Mr Kitt described Mr Douglas's criticism last night as "premature". He said that the issue under consideration was to allow young persons to work until 11 p.m. only during holidays and "not before a school day". He said he was also considering allowing bar apprentices to work until midnight.
Discussions were still in train with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and employers, Mr Kitt said. "I have made it clear that I will make no decision until a consensus can be reached."
He also said that the issue of extra inspectors would be looked at in the context of enforcing the new National Minimum Wage legislation, as well as the Protection of Young Persons Act.