Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a spare Tesco workers support badge if anyone wants one. I only have one left but it is no problem: it is here if someone wants it.

The obvious question is are the witnesses in denial. It is a little like last week, when we had a panel of people saying there is no real problem and that very few people are employed on precarious work. Yet all of us, I think, from across the parties know there is a big problem. Perhaps I will take up our colleague from the Hotels Federation. My previous job was as a SIPTU official so I have worked with a number of hotels in Limerick. Not one of them issues contracts different from this one. I refer to a contract issued by the Strand Hotel. It is a fine hotel, in fairness, in Limerick. The contract states, "As a casual employee, your hours will be communicated to you by the departmental rota". How many hours is this lady going to have to work next week? Unless she has worked there for three and a half years so far, is that acceptable in the witnesses' eyes? This is a big problem. I challenge Mr. Fenn to name for me hotels in Limerick that do not issue contracts such as this. I can assure him that I have worked to try to organise all workers subject to these contracts and I know exactly the type of contracts the Hotels Federation's members issue. They issue contracts such as this one, that is, if-and-when contracts, which guarantee no hours and whereby people do not know from one week to the next what hours they will get and what pay they will get. When they raise this, if they have the temerity to do so, what happens? They do not get any hours the following week.