Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)

As I pointed out at the time the Duffy-Walsh report on the JLCs was published, there was a myth that the system in place is somehow protecting vastly overpaid members of the workforce. In fact, as a statistic cited in the report proves, the vast majority of those covered are working in sectors where the set rate is extremely low and in some cases, such as the clothing and catering sectors, is barely above the national minimum wage. While such workers are under attack because they are in some way protected, the rates were also used by employers during the good times as an excuse for not granting pay rises and as the wage rate in such sector proves, such workers did not benefit greatly, if at all, from the Celtic tiger. Social partnership was all well and good from the point of view of employers when it was helping them.

Another interesting statistic from the report is the growth in part-time and low-paid employment over recent years. That indicates that far from employers and jobs being under threat from increasing wage rates and overall costs, employers have been using the economic downturn as a means to force down wages and undermine hard won working conditions. Some will argue that is a function of the market economy during recession. Perhaps it is, but it is surely not the task of a party with historic and current, links to the trade union movement, and which claims a legacy from Connolly and Larkin, to facilitate the race to the bottom. Besides, if we were to go along with the so-called law of the free market, ten year old boys would still be working 16 hours a day making bricks and little girls would be working in sewing factories. Is that the sort of society we want to recreate?

I said the same about Fianna Fáil when that party was in power and when it introduced a cut to the minimum wage. I contrasted that to it having, in the 1930s, introduced legislative measures to protect workers. They were attacked for that then by the same sort who are clamouring to drive down wages now. Unfortunately, Fianna Fáil forgot where it had come from and listened to them, and the consequences for the Fianna Fáil Party and its membership is there for everybody to see. It would be sad, therefore, if the Labour Party was to follow the same route as Fianna Fáil and back the demands to erode the rights of the lowest paid workers.

The message from the trade union movement, many of whom supported the Labour Party in the general election, is clear and it is made clear again today. They did not support the Labour Party to implement the IMF-EU austerity programme on behalf of the banks and they did not support the Labour Party so it could make the working people of the State pay for all of that.

I welcome the Minister's decision not to oppose this Bill and I hope the subsequent debate and Committee process will bring about legislation that will preserve and strengthen the existing protections.

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