Reforming the Anglo-Saxon Model of Labour Inspection: The Case of the Republic of Ireland

摘要

Labour inspection is an increasingly important part of employment standard-setting, as trade union membership and collective bargaining decline. Research identifies two broad approaches to labour inspection. A defining characteristic of the Latin model is that flexibility and enforcement are successfully combined in the one regulatory regime. In contrast, the Anglo-Saxon model involves institutional fragmentation and a lack of symmetry between 'hard' and 'soft' regulatory interventions. The case of the Republic of Ireland highlights the weaknesses of the Anglo-Saxon model of labour inspection: both the 'hard' and 'soft' dimensions to this labour standard-setting regime need reforming and strengthening.