Bruton defends controversial report

ENTERPRISE Minister Richard Bruton has justified scrapping Sunday and overtime pay for low paid workers by saying businesses have suffered a carnage of job losses.

The Fine Gael minister shrugged off criticisms from his coalition partners but also denied that there was a rift with Labour over his moves to cut anti-social hour working rates.

A new report on Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) and wage setting mechanisms for workers in specific sectors said the system needed to be overhauled.