Labour markets must reflect the future realities of work

life including the need for flexible working, whether part-time, fixed-term or other atypical arrangements, the head of the employers’ group Ibec has said.

Danny McCoy said it was clear the tradition of a single job with a single employer had become the exception.

“We are moving away from lifetime careers with collectively bargained or universal terms and conditions,” he said.

“Our millennials already have multiple careers, in more complex employment structures with greater demand for flexibility, autonomy and direct engagement on their terms of employment. They are more specialised and more remote.”

In an address to the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Mr McCoy also said the advantages of flexible and part-time work are significant for both employers and employees .

“It is time to reset the narrative that flexible hours or part-time working is poorly paid, undesirable or precarious work. Many workers actively choose to work in sectors where flexible hours are available in order to achieve the work-life equilibrium they require or desire.”

Last straw

Speaking to

The Irish Times

last night Mr McCoy said the “paternalistic” relationship between employers and employees had been in trouble for 20 years or more and the recession of recent years had been the last straw.

He said greater flexibility including low-hour contracts had allowed for the sustainability of jobs during the economic downturn and allowed for such working arrangements to be ratcheted back up to full-time positions as the economy improved.

The Government is currently carrying out a study of the extent of zero-hour and low-hour working arrangements, which have become hugely controversial with trade unions.

Mr McCoy signalled that Ibec would oppose any move to ban or restrict such contracts.

Meanwhile, Ibec also told the Low Pay Commission yesterday that current economic circumstances did not justify an increase in the national minimum wage at this time.