Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

The Taoiseach's appointee to the European Commission, Mr. McCreevy, is weighing in on the side of exploitative employers rather than protection for workers, as evidenced in the dispute in Sweden involving a Latvian construction company. What position will the Taoiseach adopt at the next EU Council meeting on the proposed services directive? With the Irish Ferries plan to replace trade union workers on decent wages and conditions with exploited labour from eastern Europe in front of his eyes, will he oppose the proposal that originated with the former Commissioner, Mr. Bolkenstein? That proposal attacks workers' rights within the European Union and endorses the replacement of jobs with decent wages and conditions, with exploited labour.

The Taoiseach and his Cabinet preached to us in the course of recent referenda about the great social charter, freedom and security and workers' rights within the European Union. How does he tally that with what he has just said? He virtually threw his hands in the air with regard to Irish Ferries and said nothing can be done within the European Union to prevent companies exploiting flags of convenience to ply EU waters with impunity. The Taoiseach must be mindful that the reason the working class in France rejected the proposed European constitution was because of its genuine fears about the undermining of proper jobs, wages and conditions and the abuse of migrant labour. Does he agree we have enough examples in this country of a cynical abuse of migrant labour? In that context, I am not even referring to the most blatant abuse, but that which takes place within the law. Will the Taoiseach stand up for workers' rights in Europe or will he be part of the neo-liberal attack on those rights and conditions?

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