Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)

As this is May Day, I extend greetings to workers, working families and the unemployed. It is pertinent that we are debating the Protection of Employees (Amendment) Bill on International Workers' Day. It is not a coincidence that Sinn Féin chose today to introduce the Bill because we are proud of our socialist politics and history of supporting workers in struggle, north, south, east and west. My party has never shied away from supporting workers who are struggling for justice anywhere in the world, whether in support of the Dunnes Stores strikers in Dublin in the 1980s, striking dockers in Liverpool or Ford workers in Belfast. Our politics are about providing solutions for the challenges that face workers in today's climate of austerity.

I commend Unite, MANDATE and SIPTU on their expressions of support for this Bill.

The purpose of this Bill is to enhance the rights of workers who are facing great difficulties in accessing their basic entitlements in the current climate. It will lengthen the notification period in collective redundancies from 30 to 60 days where companies have 20 to 99 employees, and from 30 to 90 days where companies have more than 100 employees. It puts in place a maximum period of 60 days after a worker applies to the Labour Court to have his or her case heard. It will also put in place a maximum period of 60 days after a determination of the Labour Court to have the worker's entitlements paid out under the insolvency fund. This Bill will ensure workers in companies that are insolvent in all but name are entitled to apply for payment under the insolvency fund after their company has ceased trading for more than 60 days.

The Minister is wrong to attack this Bill, as he did today. He claims the proposals are of limited value with regard to the period of notice. He should try saying that to those workers in TalkTalk and he should explain his misrepresentation. The absence of this legislation has created a nightmare for thousands of workers who have faced redundancy in recent years. Many of these workers have taken it upon themselves to take action to highlight their plight and demand this Government uphold their rights. I extend solidarity greetings to Vita Cortex workers in Cork who remain in occupation, the workers in Lagan Bricks, Game and La Senza and thousands who never make the headlines. I had the opportunity to meet the Game workers recently. The situation facing these workers and their families highlights the need for people to join trade unions. We might all have differences with the leadership of unions at different times, but they are the last line of defence for many families and their communities. I encourage people to join trade unions.

Today's economic recession is being used by the current Government and its allies in industry to introduce anti-worker practices. An example of this is the Connolly Shoes dispute in Dún Laoghaire, whereby €85,000 was awarded by the Labour Court to the staff, yet there are no means to force the company to pay. The company has simply changed the name above the door and continued to trade. The union is confident the courts will find in favour of the workers, yet the company will not have to pay one penny as it is the taxpayer who will pick up the tab for the €85,000. We are all aware of how tight money is in today's climate, and we hear from the captains of industry of the need to tighten our belts and cut back on public spending. However, in the absence of this Bill, it is the taxpayer who bails out these same companies every day. It is unjust, uneconomic and unacceptable that taxpayers' money has to be used like this.

I urge the Government parties to support this Bill, in particular the Labour Party, which receives much of its financial support from the trade unions. That party has an opportunity today to redeem itself and to strengthen the rights of workers who are faced with redundancy.

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