Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I met with Clerys staff, suppliers and workers at midday on O'Connell Street today. I will speak in a non-partisan way on what has been a shocking, cold and callous way of closing an iconic and historic store. There is no doubt that the workers were treated in an appalling manner, as were the suppliers. Indeed, other jobs could be at risk due to the manner in which suppliers were treated, as well as the concession stores and their staff.

What is happening is unethical and immoral. It speaks of a lack of respect for workers. There is an absence of decency and dignity in how this was approached. It is symptomatic of a trend, which unfortunately is gaining momentum, of consistent undermining of workers in certain sectors of the economy. We have seen it in the low-hour and zero-hour contracts and now there is this utilisation of company law and financial chicanery to engineer the closure of a company at the eleventh hour in a manner that does not facilitate the granting of the most basic entitlements to workers and all those connected to the company. Some of the staff have given 40 years of dedicated service and they deserve better than this.

We are witnessing probably the worst example of vulture capitalism. Will the Taoiseach consider whether a fundamental review of our legislation is needed, in respect of both industrial relations and company law, to ensure this type of activity cannot continue? It would send a message to employers and employer organisations that we live in a society and that society demands basic respect and decency for workers. That is increasingly absent in how some employers are treating their workers. The State must intervene if it continues. The most effective intervention is legislative. Will the Taoiseach agree to review both company law and industrial relations law to ensure this type of behaviour cannot continue?

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