The Mandate trade union, along with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), has called for the urgent enactment of legislation aimed at funding redundancy payments for workers in the event of a liquidation.

The proposals, which have been put to junior employment minister Damien English, would see employers contribute to a fund which would be used for such payments.

The union wants the legislation to implement the recommendations of the Duffy Cahill report on how the law could protect workers in corporate restructuring situations.

Debenhams

Mandate said similar funds exist in several European countries and work to ensure workers get their full settlement in a redundancy scenario.

The initiative has been backed by former workers at Debenhams Ireland, which is in liquidation.

Workers there had negotiated redundancy of four weeks’ pay per year of service but are now set to receive only the statutory two weeks’ pay per year. They have been picketing stores in protest.

“When this legislation is finally implemented the ex-Debenhams workers would then be entitled to the collectively agreed redundancy package negotiated by their union of four weeks’ pay per year of service,” said Mandate general secretary Gerry Light.