Fianna Fáil refuses to protect vulnerable workers
December 2, 2008
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon Sinn Féin Workers Rights Spokesperson Arthur Morgan said last night's revelations of migrant worker exploitation in RTE's Primetime was further evidence that the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment must immediately adopt measures contained within the Employment Compliance Bill and make appropriate amendments to allow National Employment Regulatory Authority (NERA) Inspectors to impose penalties and fines against employers who are found to break the law 'at first instance'.
Deputy Morgan said:
"Sinn Féin has repeatedly raised the issue of migrant worker exploitation in the Dáil. This type of exploitation is rife, particularly for the most vulnerable of workers in low-pay non-unionised employment.
"Workplace exploitation constitutes a wide variety of situations in which a worker is taken advantage of and denied their rights provided under Irish & EU law. Exploitation can range from discriminatory practices in pay and conditions, to situations of forced labour. Such exploitation is particularly prominent in sectors that are poorly regulated such as agriculture, domestic workers, cleaning and restaurant and hotels.
"The current system of issuing work permits that tie workers to an employer fosters the widespread abuse of migrants and is nothing short of bonded labour. Sinn Féin had called for permits to be issued directly to individuals when the Employment Permits Act was passing through the Dáil in 2007.The current situation could be immediately reversed if government steps up and amends work permit legislation so that work permits are applied for by the worker and not the employer. Government must also legislate that all workers regardless of their legal status have the right to exercise their employment rights to ensure that there are no barriers to legal redress.
"Protecting workers has never been a priority for Fianna Fáil. Their lousy record speaks for itself. The have refused to properly enforce exiting employment legislation. They blocked the EU Temporary Agency Workers Directive until it became inexplicable to our EU partners to continue to do so. Only this year have they finally presented the Employment Compliance Bill. They have failed to deliver their 2006 commitment to deliver a fully-resourced team of 90 inspectors operational around the country by the end of 2007.
"If Fianna Fáil and the Greens are serious about tackling worker exploitation then the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment must immediately adopt measures contained within the Employment Compliance Bill to allow National Employment Regulatory Authority (NERA) Inspectors to impose penalties and fines against employers who are found to break the law 'at first instance'. The Minister also needs to increase the number of the labour inspectorate to ensure proper enforcement of labour law." ENDS
