Taoiseach commits to maintaining employment standards

SOCIAL partnership talks kicked off yesterday with an immediate Government commitment to intervene in a key EU Court of Justice case which threatens to erode employment standards across the EU.

In his opening address to yesterday’s plenary session, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern confirmed the Government would intervene in the Laval case - an Irish Ferries-type dispute in Sweden which has been brought to the EU Court of Justice.

The dispute could undermine employment protection measures throughout the EU since it involves a Latvian company which wants to be allowed to work in Sweden without being subject to local collective agreements and bargaining arrangements.