Task

In an essay (maximum 2500 words), critically assess the importance of the state (at national and EU level) in regulating the employment relationship with regard to one of the following issues:

• mandatory trade union recognition OR
• changes to national minimum wage

Your essay should include:

• the roles and perspectives of other main parties involved in Irish Industrial Relations
• information from relevant sources
• your stance with regard to the issue based on your assessment

You must conform to academic standards, including a Reference list and use the Harvard Referencing and Citation System. Further guidance will be provided in class.

unlike the United States and United Kingdom, there is currently no legal mechanism providing for the mandatory recognition of trade unions by employers for the purpose of collective bargaining, and an issue arises as to whether or not negotiation between employee and employer should be placed on a legal basis. A fundamental tenet of industrial relations policy in this jurisdiction has been that collective bargaining „presupposes that both unions and employers are willing to bargain collectively.‟2 Even if it appears that mandatory recognition could be introduced through legislation it is questionable whether this would make a significant impact on bargaining between employees and employers, where a reluctant employer is essentially forced into collective bargaining