Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Further, it is my fundamental belief as a former SIPTU shop steward that people have a right to feel safe and secure in their workplaces. The Government must legislate to provide statutory redress for the victims of workplace bullying.

I wish to highlight the rights of workers beyond PAYE employees. We must support small businesses, local enterprises and the self-employed but this sector is being hampered by bogus self-employment, which is diverting much-needed Government support away from legitimate work and towards an exploitation of loopholes in our taxation system. We must tackle bogus self-employment to ensure that the resources of the State are put to work in the best interests of taxpaying, law-abiding citizens. This problem is not prevalent in the construction industry alone but also in the IT industry and it is beginning to occur in the education industry and elsewhere. Freelance workers, such as journalists, deserve the protections that union recognition brings. As such, we are calling on the Government to extend collective bargaining rights to freelance workers in recognition of the unique role that they play in society. We in the Labour Party are committed to combating the casualisation of work and will pressure the Government to enhance the rights of workers every step of the way.

We often discuss new politics in the Chamber. I thank those who will support the Labour Party's motion. It is a shame, therefore, to read the amendment tabled by Sinn Féin in opposition to our motion.

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