Trade unions have welcomed the reinstatement of six Joint Labour Committees (JLCs), which set minimum pay and other conditions for tens of thousands of workers in low paid sectors.

New legislation was needed to reinstate the bodies after the High Court declared them illegal in 2011, following a legal challenge from employers in the hotel and catering sector. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton signed orders establishing the reconstituted bodies last month.

Although they will have fewer powers than their predecessors, the JLCs – which consist of union and employer representatives under an independent chair – will agree ‘employment regulation orders,’ which can set pay rates above the statutory minimum in hospitality, catering, retail, contract cleaning, security and agriculture.

The reestablishment of the bodies has been a priority for Irish unions since the JLCs were undermined in 2011. Mandate and Siptu, unions that represent large numbers of workers in the sectors, have given a broad welcome to the new arrangement.