James Breen (Clare, Independent)

I wholeheartedly condemn the actions of Irish Ferries in proposing to sack 543 workers who are on trade union rates of pay and established working conditions and replace them with vulnerable migrant workers on appalling wages and conditions. It is a disgrace, in this day and age, that people can be treated in such a manner. The workers in Irish Ferries have been given no choice in that if they do not give up their jobs, they will face unfair exploitation by having their wages reduced and their standards of employment lowered. This is something we cannot accept in our society and the Government should be doing its utmost to protect the rights of our workers. If Irish Ferries is allowed to get away with this disgraceful behaviour then every other company that is driven purely by greed and commercial profits, will seek to behave in the same manner. It is time the Government made a stand against this type of rot in our society.

The Government amendment suggests that there is no question of employment rights being in free-fall in this State. We need only consider what happened to the Gama Construction workers to see if it is telling the truth. There are several other examples of workers being abused and the Government failing to take appropriate action to prevent such abuses. The Government is elected to represent the views of the people, not solely the views of greedy companies driven by profits at the expense of their workers. It is time the Government put a stop to the dismal behaviour and practices taking place in Irish Ferries. The Government is part of the social partnership, as are the workers and citizens of Ireland. Why is it ignoring the partnership agreement and kowtowing to greedy employers who are abusing not just Irish workers, but the non-national workers they propose to bring in as slave labour?

I call on the Government to withdraw the amendment and accept the actions stated in the Private Members' motion, which is a true reflection of justice and fair play.

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