Proposal for an SEO in the Commercial Archaeology Sector
Notice of Intention to Conduct an Examination into Terms and Conditions in the Commercial Archaeology pursuant to Section 15 of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015
The Labour Court (“the Court”), having received a request from a trade union of workers to conduct an examination into terms and conditions for ‘Non-licenced Commercial Archaeological Workers’ (i.e. archaeological workers who are not licence-eligible) in the commercial archaeology
sector and having satisfied itself on the documentation in relation to Section 15(1)(a) – (d) of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015 (“the Act”) and having had regard to the provisions of Section 15(2) and (3) of the Act, gives notice of its intention to undertake an examination of the
terms and conditions relating to the remuneration and any sick pay scheme or pension scheme in respect of the workers of a particular class, type or group and their employers in the economic sector in respect of which the request is expressed to apply; being the commercial archaeology sector.
The examination could result in a recommendation from the Court for the making by the Minister of a Sectoral Employment Order under Section 17 of the Act. Such an Order could provide for legally enforceable minimum terms and conditions of employment in the sector. Before making a recommendation, the Court is required to have regard to matters set out in Section 16(2)(a) to (e) of the Act. In accordance with section 16(4) of the Act, the Court shall not make a recommendation unless it is satisfied that to do so:
(a) would promote harmonious relations between workers and employers and assist in the avoidance of industrial unrest in the economic sector concerned, and
(b) is reasonably necessary to -
(i) promote and preserve high standards of training and qualification, and
(ii) ensure fair and sustainable rates of remuneration,
in the economic sector concerned.
In accordance with Section 15(3) of the Act, any interested parties wishing to make representations in the form of a written submission in relation to the examination should do so, not later than 28 days after this notice; by 5p.m. on or before 4th March 2026. Representations received after that date shall not be considered.
Any such representations should be sent by post to The Secretary, The Labour Court, Lansdowne House, Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4, or by E-mail to secretariat@labourcourt.ie
Representations in the form of a written submission should address matters set out in Section 16 of the Act in addition to any other representations the party may wish to make. The Court, following receipt of submissions, may decide to convene a hearing of parties appearing to the Court to be interested and desiring to be heard.
The Section 14 request and related correspondence and documentation is available on the Court’s website at www.labourcourt.ie.
Please note that it is the Court’s intention to publish all written submissions received on its website at www.labourcourt.ie and parties making submissions should ensure that all material submitted complies with all relevant regulatory legislation including Data Protection legislation.
2025.09.08-From-Unite-the-Union-Re-SEO.pdf (size 145.4 KB)
2025.09.08-From-LC-to-Tom-Fitzgerald-Re-Acknowledgement.pdf (size 41.2 KB)
25.09.24-Letter-to-Unite-for-clarification.pdf (size 90.9 KB)
Clarification-received-from-Unite-the-Union-re-Commercial-Archaeology-Sector.pdf (size 2 MB)
Statutory-Declaration-SEO.pdf (size 121.2 KB)
PRESS-RELEASE-re-Commercial-Archaeology-Sector-SEO.docx (size 16.7 KB)
DJEI-Labour-Court-TCs-Commercial-Archaeology-26x2_Seachtain.pdf (size 665.2 KB)
DJEI-Labour-Court-TCs-Commercial-Archaeology-26x2_Various.pdf (size 664.4 KB)
