The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has called for stronger labour protections and meaningful social dialogue to ensure changes in the world of work are managed in a fair, inclusive and rights-based manner.
Launching its submission to the European Committee of Social Rights, IHREC highlights the importance of ensuring that labour rights protections keep pace with economic, technological and workplace developments, and that workers have a meaningful voice in shaping those changes.
Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick said:
“Workplaces are changing rapidly, driven by economic, social and technological developments. The challenge for Ireland is to ensure that our labour rights framework evolves alongside these changes. Workers must have a meaningful voice in how changes affecting their working lives are introduced and managed.”
Ireland continues to have declining levels of collective bargaining coverage and trade union density, particularly in the private sector. While workers have the right to join a trade union, employers are not required to engage in collective bargaining.
The Commission notes that Ireland is required under the EU Adequate Minimum Wages Directive to increase collective bargaining coverage. It also highlights that the European Commission’s recently published Country Report recommends considering measures requiring employers to engage with trade unions where they reach an appropriate level of representativeness.
IHREC’s submission emphasises the importance of strengthening collective bargaining and social dialogue mechanisms to ensure workers are effectively represented as workplaces continue to evolve.
The Commission also notes that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and increasing workplace digitisation, present both opportunities and challenges for workers. As the use of these technologies expands across sectors, it will be important to ensure that appropriate governance, transparency, oversight and labour protections are in place to safeguard workers’ rights and equality.
The Commission is calling for:
- stronger collective bargaining rights and social dialogue;
- effective implementation of EU measures protecting platform workers;
- investment in reskilling and lifelong learning;
- labour protections that ensure the benefits of economic and technological change are shared fairly; and
- workplace governance frameworks that protect workers’ rights and support transparency and accountability.
Mr Herrick continued:
“The benefits of economic and technological change should be shared across society. That requires effective social dialogue, stronger collective bargaining and labour protections that ensure changes in the workplace contribute to decent work, equality and human rights.”
The submission forms part of IHREC’s examination of Ireland’s compliance with the European Social Charter.