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.
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