OECD says Unite complaint warrants examination after company refuses to engage with union

Members to discuss options including industrial action

ASML reported nearly €33 billion in record sales last year

Trade union Unite, which organises workers at ASML in Maynooth, said today (Tuesday) that the Dutch semiconductor giant has refused an offer by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Dutch National Contact Point (NCP) to ‘use its good offices’ to mediate between Unite and the company. Unite has accepted the offer.

Last year Unite filed a notification against ASML under the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises on responsible business conduct. The OECD’s Dutch NCP concluded that the union notification, which followed ASML’s persistent refusal to recognise Unite for collective bargaining purposes, warranted further examination.

Following ASML’s refusal to avail of the NCP’s mediation offer, Unite will now convene a meeting of members in ASML to explore all avenues including industrial action.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “ASML is cynically exploiting Ireland’s lack of union recognition legislation to avoid engaging with Unite. It is scandalous that Unite members should have to seek assistance from an international body such as the OECD to secure a basic human right.”

Last week ASML reported a record €32.7 billion in total net sales and €9.6 billion in net income for 2025. The lack of a statutory right to collective bargaining in Ireland means that ASML does not have to recognise a union in Ireland, unlike in Holland where ASML workers are represented by unions and a works council.

Unite’s Irish secretary Susan Fitzgerald said: “ASML’s dismissal of the OECD’s mediation offer shows a breathtaking contempt for workers. The company’s success is down to the expertise and commitment of its workforce, including our members in Maynooth. ASML must reverse its ill-considered decision and accept the OECD’s offer of mediation.

“Our members will now discuss further steps including industrial action. ASML can make this dispute go away by simply applying the same basic respect to all workers, regardless of country, and recognising Unite.”