Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)

Ba mhaith liom tacaíocht iomlán a thabhairt don tairiscint seo i dtaobh cearta oibrithe agus go háirithe don tairiscint gur cóir Roinn faoi leith a bheith ann mar Roinn gnothaí oibrithe, chun cearta oibrithe a fheabhsú, a neartú agus a chur i gcrích.

I support this timely motion in favour of workers' rights. Workers throughout this country have good reason to be concerned that their rights are being increasingly undermined. Following the recent scandals at Gama and Irish Ferries is the Collen Brothers dispute, which has resulted in the jailing of workers, and now in my constituency the treatment of workers in the Gresham Hotel is developing in an indefensible way. The hotel management is orchestrating a deliberate policy to undermine the established pay and conditions of the workers. The staff have been served with letters telling them they must take turns in signing on the dole for periods of four weeks at a time. This is part of a novel cost-cutting exercise, at the State's expense, to benefit management at a time when the hotel is full to capacity every week. This policy is also aimed at intimidating the workers. Even the longest serving staff, including porters who have served for over 30 years, have been given notices obliging them to sign on the dole for periods of four weeks.

The scandal is that meanwhile the hotel is short-staffed and today managers cleaned 42 rooms rather than recall the five workers who had been laid off. The workers in the Gresham are fearful as to what will be the next move by management in this calculated attempt to force them to accept less favourable conditions of employment. There is no State intervention to defend the rights and the established pay and conditions of the Gresham staff.

This motion refers to the right to access lifelong learning and training opportunities. It is incredible that this country remains the only one in Europe that does not have a further education sector. The Government, particularly the Minister for Education and Science, continues to refuse the necessary resources and structures to the PLC colleges, the primary providers of second chance education. The Government has refused the €45 million they require to establish themselves as a specialist further education sector. This was recommended in the McIver report arising from a commitment in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. Ironically the same sum of money set aside for, and wasted on, electronic voting machines continues to be denied to the PLC colleges. As this motion states, this denies many disadvantaged people the right to access lifelong learning opportunities and training.

Today 320 workers in the NEC plant in Ballivor lost their jobs. This is part of a worrying trend, with these jobs moving to the Far East. What steps will Government take to ensure alternative employment for workers such as these?

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