Dáil debates

Thursday, 16 April 2015

Fair Pay, Secure Jobs and Trade Union Recognition: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]

 

1:00 pm

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

I utterly condemn the bully boy tactics of Margaret Heffernan and management in Dunnes Stores and stand in solidarity with all of the workers who took to the picket lines and sympathy with those who did not have the courage to do so. We must register that the tactics of management at Dunnes Stores are, in some ways, an indication of weakness rather than strength. It is desperate to see off any form of serious organisation of workers and our job has to be to stand alongside the workers. What we are seeing is a consequence of the erosion of working conditions which has taken place throughout the workforce, not just in Ireland but also in the rest of Europe, whereby employers are using the economic crisis to drive down decent wages and conditions which, we must remember, were never granted in the first place but hard fought for by unions. The unions must learn the lesson that defending workers' rights requires sacrifice and struggle. Workers' rights will not be granted by benevolent governments or employers.

As legislators, we have an obligation to all members of society to do more than is being done in this House. The correspondence all Members received from the Ryanair pilot group on the exploitation of zero hour contracts in that industry is a shocking warning bell for the establishment. A full 60% of Ryanair pilots are on zero hour contracts and new pilots have to accept such contracts. These are people who start their working lives with debts of approximately €100,000 and are working under the pressure exerted by zero hour contracts. Is this what we really want for those who are flying aeroplanes? I do not think so. There are serious implications when people are going to work sick because of a fear of being disciplined and so forth.

The Government can legislate for standby pay and honest contracts which deter employers from using zero hour contracts. Nice words from the Taoiseach are all well and good but people want to see a little action.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.