Latest news with #JointLabourCommittee
BreakingNews.ie
18 hours ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Labour body proposes 10% rise in minimum pay for childcare workers
A 10 per cent increase in minimum rates of pay for childcare workers has been proposed by the Joint Labour Committee. Minister for Children Norma Foley welcomed the development, after highlighting that not all of a €45 million ring-fenced allocation was being used for pay and conditions. Advertisement The proposals have been put forward by the Joint Labour Committee, which is made up of employer and worker representatives. It has the responsibility for setting minimum rates of pay for over 35,000 staff in the early years and childcare sector. The changes would be part of an employment regulation order (ERO) which is a mechanism to set the minimum rates of pay and conditions for workers in a specified business sector. The order is drawn up by a Joint Labour Committee and signed into law by the Minister for Enterprise. Advertisement Ms Foley said: 'The new proposals for a 10 per cent increase in minimum pay represent a significant step toward ensuring fair pay for educators and practitioners working in the sector. 'I am committed to ensuring the successful implementation of these proposals by providing a ring-fenced allocation of €45 million from Core Funding. 'It has been specifically earmarked to support services in meeting the cost of the proposed increases in pay and conditions.' Recently, Ms Foley met with the Joint Labour Committee to highlight the availability of this €45 million in core funding from the State for increased pay for staff in the early years and childcare sector. Advertisement She said: 'I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Joint Labour Committee in these negotiations and their vital role in advancing the professionalism and value of those working in the sector. 'If these proposals are implemented through updated Employment Regulation Orders, they will bring much-needed improvements in pay for these dedicated professionals, enhancing the quality of care and education provided to children across Ireland. 'I am hopeful that these proposals will soon come into effect, marking a positive change for our dedicated and skilled staff in the early learning and childcare sector and the services that employ them.' Fine Gael spokeswoman for childcare Emer Currie welcomed that a proposal had been agreed. Advertisement Ireland Childcare fees for some parents to be reduced from... Read More 'We continue to see progress in recognising the vital role of our childcare educators and practitioners,' she said. 'Staffing remains one of the key issues facing the sector. 'It's important that pay remains on the agenda in the short-term as part of the review of core funding and long-term too as the Government considers how State-led facilities take shape.'
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Labour body proposes 10% rise in minimum pay for childcare workers
A 10% increase in minimum rates of pay for childcare workers has been proposed by the Joint Labour Committee. Children's minister Norma Foley welcomed the development, after highlighting that not all of a €45m ring-fenced allocation was being used for pay and conditions. The proposals have been put forward by the Joint Labour Committee, which is made up of employer and worker representatives. The new proposals for a 10% increase in minimum pay represent a significant step toward ensuring fair pay for educators and practitioners working in the sector It has the responsibility for setting minimum rates of pay for over 35,000 staff in the early years and childcare sector. The changes would be part of an employment regulation order (ERO) which is a mechanism to set the minimum rates of pay and conditions for workers in a specified business sector. The order is drawn up by a Joint Labour Committee and signed into law by the minister for enterprise. Ms Foley said: 'The new proposals for a 10% increase in minimum pay represent a significant step toward ensuring fair pay for educators and practitioners working in the sector. 'I am committed to ensuring the successful implementation of these proposals by providing a ring-fenced allocation of €45m from Core Funding. 'It has been specifically earmarked to support services in meeting the cost of the proposed increases in pay and conditions.' Recently, Ms Foley met with the Joint Labour Committee to highlight the availability of this €45m in Core Funding from the state for increased pay for staff in the early years and childcare sector. She said: 'I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Joint Labour Committee in these negotiations and their vital role in advancing the professionalism and value of those working in the sector. 'If these proposals are implemented through updated Employment Regulation Orders, they will bring much-needed improvements in pay for these dedicated professionals, enhancing the quality of care and education provided to children across Ireland. 'I am hopeful that these proposals will soon come into effect, marking a positive change for our dedicated and skilled staff in the early learning and childcare sector and the services that employ them.' Read More Tánaiste orders evacuation of Irish embassy staff in Iran
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Minimum pay for childcare workers to rise by 10pc after deal brokered for funding
Employer and worker representatives have put forward proposals to increase wages for early year educators and school age childcare practitioners. Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, welcomed the proposals tabled by employer and worker representatives who are members of a Joint Labour Committee. 'The new proposals for a 10pc increase in minimum pay represent a significant step towards ensuring fair pay for educators and practitioners working in the sector,' she said. Ms Foley said she is committed to ensuring the successful implementation of the proposals by providing a ring-fenced allocation of €45m from the government's Core Funding scheme for the sector. She said this amount has been earmarked to support services in meeting the cost of the proposed increases in pay and conditions. Recently, the minister met with the Joint Labour Committee to highlight the availability of the funding. 'I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Joint Labour Committee in these negotiations and their vital role in advancing the professionalism and value of those working in the sector,' she said. If the proposals are implemented through updated Employment Regulation Orders for the workers, she said they will bring much-needed improvements in pay for dedicated professionals and enhance the quality of childcare. 'I am hopeful that these proposals will soon come into effect, marking a positive change for our dedicated and skilled staff in the early learning and childcare sector and the services that employ them,' she said. A spokesperson for providers group, Childcare Service Ireland, said it is pleased to have reached an agreement that enables ring-fenced funding for wages to reach early years educators. ADVERTISEMENT 'There are several pressing issues facing providers, and we look forward to working with the minister to address these challenges,' she said. "Our goal is to ensure the continued sustainability of a high-quality early childhood education and care sector.' The spokesperson said any further wage increases must be fully supported by government funding 'as the ongoing fee freeze and the incoming fee caps significantly limit providers' ability to absorb additional costs'. Darragh O'Connor, Siptu head of organising, said the proposals are a big step forward in the union's campaign for recognition, respect and decent pay for early years professionals. "It's widely acknowledged that there's a staffing crisis that is impacting on parents due to a lack of supply, and impacting on quality for children because of the high levels of staff turnover,' he said. 'We need to see continued year on year investment by government for pay so that educators can afford to stay in their profession.'
Irish Independent
30-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
New workers' rights laws mean Joint Labour Committee system ‘not fit for purpose', Ibec says
In a submission to a government department, Ibec is critical of the Joint Labour Committee system. These committees, which include employer and union representatives, set legally binding employment conditions and rates of pay for workers in sectors including childcare, contract cleaning and security. The employer group claimed that significant legislation on workers' rights recently means it is difficult to find an incentive for employers to participate. Ibec said these laws include statutory sick pay, extra leave, and minimum-wage increases while legislation is pending on pension auto-enrolment and surrogacy leave. It made the submission to a recent Department of Enterprise public consultation on the promotion of collective bargaining. Collective bargaining involves talks between employer and union representatives on behalf of groups of workers on their terms and conditions. Under an EU directive, each member state in which collective bargaining coverage is less than 80pc must come up with an action plan to promote collective bargaining by the end of the year. 'Ibec is of the view that the Joint Labour Committee structure, as it currently operates, is not fit for purpose in the modern workplace,' its submission said. It said 'employment regulation orders' drawn up by these committees are not collective agreements. As a result, it said they will be of 'limited value' to any action plan on collective bargaining that Ireland produces. It said it has become increasingly difficult to identify traditional areas of collective negotiation that are not regulated by statute. ADVERTISEMENT 'In the last five years, we have seen a significant legislative-driven agenda resulting in the introduction of statutory sick pay, the extension of statutory leaves, introduction of new statutory leaves, increases in minimum wage, with further implementation or legislation pending on auto-enrolment for pensions and further leaves such as surrogacy leave, to name but a few,' it said. It said the intent of the Joint Labour Committee system is to regulate pay and conditions of employment. 'If statute already does so, Ibec submits that it is difficult to identify an incentive for employers to participate in the operation of Joint Labour Committees.' However, it said action is required to strengthen the capacity of the social partners to engage in collective bargaining on wage setting in individual workplaces. It said dedicating funding to training will help promote collective bargaining. It welcomed a government commitment to 'unlock' the National Training Fund, which will have a surplus near €2bn this year. 'We believe that the provision of collective bargaining training should focus on those employee and employer representatives in companies which are already engaged in collective bargaining or have agreements in place to recognise a union,' it said. It said it believes that a 'good faith engagement' process involving a single meeting between an employer and union may play a role in Ireland's action plan to promote collective bargaining. However, after this it said an employer could continue to hold their position 'not to recognise a union'. The employer representative group said it does not believe that a statutory entitlement to trade union access to the workplace should be introduced. It said providing for a right of access to workplaces, whether physical or digital, would raise significant constitutional, legal and security issues.
Extra.ie
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Norma Foley to introduce childcare fee cap for parents
The Minister for Children Norma Foley has said that she will be introducing a fee cap for childcare, saying that costs are 'far too high.' A new Ispos B&A Poll published by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality found that 49% of parents of pre-school age children and 53% of parents of school-age children found it easy to pay for childcare. Following the publication of the report, Minister Foley said that while there's been a 50% reduction in the cost of childcare, the cost is still 'far too high' along with some parents having a lack of accessibility. The Minister for Children Norma Foley has said that she will be introducing a fee cap for childcare, saying that costs are 'far too high.' Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire As a result, she has announced an ambitious plan to cap fees this September, and will be increasing the number of places of childcare; which she announced last week. 'Over the last number of years since we've brought in state funding directly to [childcare] providers, we've seen, on average, a 50% reduction in the cost of childcare,' Minister Foley told Claire Byrne. 'But it's still far too high. 'In terms of it still being too costly, come this September I will be introducing a fee cap, and that will particularly help parents who are paying particularly high fees for childcare. In terms of accessibility, I'm very conscious of that — so we've also given a commitment that we'll increase the number of places.' A new Ispos B&A Poll published by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality found that 49% of parents of pre-school age children and 53% of parents of school-age children found it easy to pay for childcare. Pic: Shutterstock 'Just last week, I announced funding of €25million which is providing 1,500 additional places. But we need to do much more,' Minister Foley continued. 'We've given a commitment that the state will intervene where there isn't a provision of service. 'I want to recognise that we do that alongside the private provision, we're committed over the next number of years between now and 2030, we envisage that 14,000 additional places will be required every year; we will make additional places available either through supporting private providers or the state intervening itself.' Minister Foley also spoke about staffing numbers and retaining numbers, adding that she's made €45million available 'so that there'll be an increase in wages for staff.' Minister Foley said that she hopes to increase the number of available places, as well as increasing wages for staff. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire 'I want to say that the Joint Labour Committee is independent of me,' she continued. 'But I want to say that I put €45million on the table, I've met with the membership of the Joint Labour Committee, I've made it very clear that I want every single last penny of that spent on wages. They deserve the uplift, we want professionals, we want the best of people caring for children. To do that, they need to be paid. 'It's about reducing costs for parents, and it's about ensuring that there are more places available, ensuring staff are paid proportionately and appropriately for the excellent work they do, and equally it's ensuring that there is enough money coming forward from government.' Following the publication of the Department's survey, Minister Foley said that while there were 'tangible improvements' surrounding childcare, the burden remains high for a lot of families. 'The National Childcare Scheme is currently supporting thousands of families to offset their childcare costs,' Minister Foley said in a statement. 'Moreover, the recent extension of regulation to paid, non-relative childminders is opening up of the National Childcare Scheme to an increasing number of childminders, enabling more parents to access State subsidies who were previously unable to do so. 'These developments to the National Childcare Scheme combined with fee management measures under Core Funding, have resulted in tangible improvements for many families. 'I do recognise however that the burden on some families remains high and some continue to face challenges in accessing places, particularly families with very young children. That is why the Programme for Government has made very ambition commitments in this policy area, which I am committed to delivering on. 'Results from the survey show awareness of supports under the National Childcare Scheme, while improving on recent years, remains low. An awareness raising campaign, led by my Department, is underway. 'As part of that campaign, my Department will be engaging with families at the 'Budding Bloomers' section of Bord Bia Bloom this weekend to discuss the supports available to help reduce the cost of childcare.'
