Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received following the decision of the Northern Ireland Minister for the Economy to exempt businesses employing fewer than 10 workers from the provisions on trade union recognition in the 'Good Jobs' Employment Rights Bill; and what is their assessment of the impact of that decision on Northern Ireland adherence to the principles set out for trade union members across the UK.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Under Section 4, Paragraph 1 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, employment law and trade union matters are transferred to the Northern Ireland Executive. Any decisions regarding employment law are therefore the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018, signed into law by the President of the Republic of Ireland on 25 December 2018 and which came into force on 4 March 2019; and what plans they have, if any, to ensure regulatory alignment between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland by introducing similar legislation in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
Responsibility for employment policy sits with the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland.
Employment law in Northern Ireland currently meets the commitments in EU legislation and in many cases exceeds EU-required levels of protection. It will be for a Northern Ireland Minister, once the Executive is restored, to make future decisions in respect of employment policy.