SUBSTANTIAL progress was made in the dispute over changes to Jersey’s proposed new employment relations laws at a meeting on Friday.

However, the clock is ticking away, with lawyers for both the Employment and Social Security Committee and the Transport and General Workers Union having 24 hours to redraft amendments if the new law is to be listed for debate in time for next Tuesday’s States sitting.

The two sides had been at loggerheads over definitions contained in amendments to the proposed new legislation which Deputy Geoff Southern had tabled for debate.

The States effectively told Employment and Social Security last month to hold more talks about the proposals when they refused to sanction other related proposals from the committee.

The States’ decision followed a demonstration by about 1,000 people in the Royal Square who were worried that the proposals from Employment and Social Security would severely limit their rights to take industrial action.

Deputy Southern said that substantial progress was made at the meeting between the two sides on Friday and he said he was hopeful that agreement could be reached on the sticking points.

However, he said the real crunch will come when the codes of practice are produced.

‘Some of the codes of practice are unacceptable,’ he said.