STAR TS Translation Services Press

20 May 2008: A labour court ruling today has potentially far reaching implications for employers of foreign workers in Ireland today.

Goode Conrete based in Dublin, Ireland was ordered by the Equality Tribunal to pay Euro 290,000 to 58 staff, based on the fact they did not have work contracts translated.

The tribunal stated that the company should have explained to workers their terms and conditions on employment in a language that was understandable to them.

The key elements of the decision where based on …

“Their terms and conditions of employment and safety documentation were not set out in a language which was understandable to them ”

and/or

“There was no evidence that these terms and conditions of employment were explained to each of them by a person speaking a language they understood”

With sme 330,00 foreign nationals employed in Ireland this ruling has significant impact on employers here.

Official Reports in the UK show that more than 800,000 schoolchildren do not speak English as their first language

According to figures published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in May some 14.4 per cent of children aged between 5 to 11 speak languages other than English at home. This figure is on the increase almost 10% higher than last year.