News Story

Sinn Fein has accused the DUP of blocking a major Bill to overhaul Northern Ireland’s employment laws.

However, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has defended her party’s decision not to sign off the Good Jobs Bill at Thursday’s meeting of the Executive, insisting she and colleagues needed more time to scrutinise it.

Sinn Fein Finance Minister John O’Dowd said the place for scrutiny was on the floor of the Assembly and through the committee stage process.

His party colleague, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald, first set out the proposals in the Bill in April 2025, describing it as the “biggest upgrade to our employment legislation since the Good Friday Agreement”.

There are proposals in the legislation relating to zero-hour contracts, improving family-related leave and strengthening trade union rights.

However, more than a year later, the Bill has still not been published or debated by MLAs.

It was discussed by ministers in the powersharing Executive on Thursday but no consensus was reached on giving it the green light to begin its legislative journey through the Assembly.

While trade unions have voiced support for the Bill, some business groups have called for it to be paused, stating there is not enough time for it to be properly scrutinised before the end of the current Assembly mandate in March next year.

Ms Little-Pengelly and Mr O’Dowd appeared beside each other as they spoke to reporters during a visit to a pharmacy in Carryduff on Thursday afternoon.

The Finance Minister said: “It’s no secret the DUP have stopped it leaving the Executive and going to the Assembly, so therefore it’s blocked out in those circumstances.

“In my opinion, the best place to have these debates is on the floor of the Assembly. That’s where you scrutinise legislation and then it goes into the committee stage, and committees scrutinise it line by line.

“Amendments can be brought forward, the business sector, the trade union sector, a range of society can come before the committees and give their point of view, and that’s where changes are made, where changes are necessary.

“So, there’s been very useful discussions, I have to say, at the Executive, but those discussions can only go so far. Let’s bring this onto the floor of the Assembly.”

The deputy First Minister insisted she needed more time to examine the Bill and its implications, not only for workers but for businesses too.

“Look, from my perspective, I have a duty in the Executive Committee, and that is to scrutinise the proposals that come forward,” she said.

“Once that legislation leaves the Executive, it becomes an Executive-agreed piece of legislation. So, therefore, of course, I will discharge the duties of scrutiny in the Executive Committee.

“Look, the Department of the Economy has had this legislation and proposals for a number of months. It has been working on this for two and a half years.

“The Executive has been looking at this for a matter of weeks. The economy minister and the First Minister (Michelle O’Neill) have both described this legislation as the most significant change in employment law for many generations. So it is very significant.

“That is why I am taking the time to scrutinise it carefully.

“Of course, we want to see good jobs. There are many proposals within this that’s very positive, but, of course, the people who create good jobs are businesses, and we need to also work with businesses to make sure that the balance within this is correct, and that indeed it enables our economy to grow in the future and not actually contract in the future.”