Labour Court recommends talks on construction subcontracting agreement

In 1994, the Labour Court recommended that the 1981 agreement on subcontractors remain in force while the Construction Industry Federation and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ Construction Industrial Committee negotiated changes. The recommendation was signed on 17 June 1994. The Court said changes in the industry meant the agreement needed urgent amendment. It recommended that the parties negotiate the federation’s proposals alongside the Working Party’s views and review progress six months later. The employers’ federation sought wider use of subcontractors, while the union side said the existing agreement protected workers and had been abused through arrangements treating employees as self-employed.