The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) will next week submit written evidence to an Oireachtas committee charged with scrutinising planned new laws that the Government claims would give all workers a right to request remote working arrangements. The draft legislation attracted huge criticism from Fórsa and other unions, as well as labour law experts and others, when it was published at the end of last month.

Fórsa has said the current text of the legislation was effectively a “right for employers to refuse remote working.” This is because of the bill’s extensive get-out clauses for employers, together with extremely weak appeals mechanisms.

ICTU has convened a working group involving Fórsa and a small number of other unions to work for amendments to the legislation after Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, whose department published the bill, said he would consult with unions and employers organisations on possible changes.

ICTU has been invited to make written and oral submissions to the Oireachtas committee charged with undertaking pre-legislative scrutiny. Fórsa is inputting into the written submission, which will go the committee early next week. A date for the oral hearing was awaited as this bulletin was finalised.

Meanwhile, talks aimed at agreeing a framework for remote working in the civil and public service have resumed.

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