Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)

This motion, calling for the rejection of the services directive as currently proposed and in particular the country of origin principle, is one of the most timely and vital motions to have come before this Dáil. There is no doubt that no matter what the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, stated this morning, there is widespread public concern among Irish workers and trade unions that if this draft of the services directive or anything approximating to it were introduced, it would pose the single gravest threat to established and hard-won rates of pay and labour standards in this country in recent times. There is no point in the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, fooling the House or attempting to mislead it as he did last night by referring to the posting of workers directive. What he stated is simply not true. The posting of workers directive will only allow for a minimum wage and it will not allow this Government or any Irish Government to insist on implementing collective agreements. It will not deal with issues such as training of service providers or educational qualifications. The posting of workers directive is not the panacea for all ills and it will not and cannot deal adequately with the country of origin principle. Hence, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, should not mislead the workers of this country or the House.

The Independent Members join with the European Trade Union Confederation to demand an end to ambiguity in this directive. We are not prepared to accept anything less than a clear commitment, in unambiguous and much stronger language, that labour law, collective bargaining and the right to take industrial action will be fully protected. In addition, this State must be entitled to impose supervisory measures on all services provided within it, regardless of their country of origin, because without such an entitlement, the end result would be unfair competition and lowering of standards. Moreover, services of general needs, such as water supply and social services must be excluded from any future directive. These are basic demands, as is the demand that the minimum wage must not become the norm or the means to undermine trade union rates of pay for a range of services.

I reject the Government's amendment. It is as ambiguous as the directive which it defends, and nowhere does it mention rates of pay in Ireland. They are to be sacrificed to enable employers and business interests to exploit the services market in Europe.

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