Madam, - The fact that Minister for Employment Micheál Martin at least now acknowledges the need for proper enforcement of labour standards (Dec 16th) is to be welcomed.
This must be one of the main components of any future social partnership agreement, if one is to be agreed.
However, the Government has to go much further than just better enforcement.
For example, in the past week it sought behind the closed doors of the Council of Ministers to water down existing European working time legislation and it has been sent final warnings from the European Commission for failing to enact agreed directives on information and consultation rights in the workplace and on the working conditions of haulage drivers into Irish law.
The Government blocked the draft ferries directive in 1998 and continues to block the draft directive on temporary agency workers, which would improve workplace conditions for up to 100,000 temps in Ireland.
Most importantly, it remains one of the principal supporters of Commissioner McCreevy's draft services directive (due to be voted on by the European Parliament in February) which poses a major threat to labour standards in a race to the bottom.
There is little point in the Government promising better enforcement of labour standards at home if at the same time its policy in Brussels is to block European legislation providing decent conditions or, when that's not possible, to delay their introduction as long as possible, or to support proposals that undermine existing labour laws and collective agreements. - Yours, etc,
PROINSIAS DE ROSSA MEP,
Labour European Office,
Liberty Hall,
Dublin 1.