IBEC set to demand wage overhaul

IBEC will today demand the Government radically overhaul the system which sets wages and conditions for up to 170,000 workers, claiming it is out of touch with the current recession.

At an employment law conference in Clontarf, the employers’ body will say the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) system puts too much pressure on employers to increase wages at a time of financial hardship and could lead to many firms closing.

JLCs set minimum employment standards in a range of industries, including the catering, hotel and contract cleaning sectors.