Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach expressed sympathy for the Clerys workers. I have no doubt that he was sincere enough, but the Government is also partly to blame for their dilemma. We have seen it before. Workers in Waterford Crystal, TalkTalk, La Senza, Lagan Brick, Vita Cortex, Game and others were frustrated in gaining access to basic rights and entitlements. Three years ago the Taoiseach and his partner in government, the Labour Party, rejected Sinn Féin's Protection of Employees (Amendment) Bill 2012 which sought to legislate for the scenarios in question. Had he supported that Bill, what the company did would have been unlawful. What we sought to do in the Bill was enhance the period of notice for workers made redundant and expedite the hearings and processing of claims to entitlements. One of the workers at the rally today asked me why the Government would do this and why it would not support the workers. I was asked why the Labour Party, especially, would not support them. Will the Taoiseach legislate belatedly to protect workers such as those at Clerys? For example, will he extend the period of notice legally required in collective redundancies and impose penalties for non-compliance? Will he provide a time limit within which applications for redress for employees such as those in Clerys will be heard? Will he move beyond the expressions of sympathy and introduce legislation to defend the rights of workers where employers fail to pay money due to them? In this regard, we will support him, although he has refused to support us.

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