Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I support Deputy Tóibín's amendment. The issue of blacklisting is very important in light of the revelations during recent years in Britain that The Consulting Association, TCA, was found to have held a blacklist of 3,200 construction workers who were deemed to be militant, trade union activists or who had pursued employment tribunals. A number of companies or contractors which were members of TCA paid a yearly subscription of approximately £3,000 plus £220 for each inquiry into a worker. Approximately 20 construction companies were involved in it. At least one of the companies is active in Ireland. While this does not mean the company is using blacklists in Ireland, it means Deputy Tóibín's point is relevant. It is naive to expect the practice of blacklisting would not exist in Ireland, and it is essential that it be explicitly ruled out, given that it has affected the lives of thousands of workers in Britain.

The same applies to amendment No. 11 which seeks to insert "trade union membership or activity" as grounds on which an employer cannot penalise, or threaten to penalise, a worker. There are many anti-trade union employers. Many employers see the organisation of trade unions and trade union activists as a threat to their ability to maximise the exploitation of their workers and the profits they can make. Therefore, we need as many legal protections as possible to enable trade unions and workers to organise, even in hostile environments.

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