Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As somebody who worked in the trade union movement until my election to this House in February this year, I welcome the Bill and the opportunity to speak to it. Before speaking to it, however, I urge the Minister and Fianna Fáil Deputies to re-read it because, based on some of the ridiculous statements made, clearly they do not understand it. I also invite them to work alongside workers in the sector or spend time with people who have worked in the trade union movement who know exactly what it is like for workers involved in this area.

The exploitation of workers on low hour contracts is, unfortunately, on the increase. There are many situations where the contract hours of workers do not reflect the reality of the hours they work. This is most prevalent in the retail and services sector. However, it is also common practice in the private health care field, including private nursing homes. As mentioned, in most of these areas of employment there is generally a greater number of female workers employed; therefore, this is an issue that often has a greater negative affect on women. It impacts on workers being able to plan their lives. Effectively, they are in financial limbo in terms of being able to plan their daily lives. A person on a 15-hour contract who actually works 30 hours would be denied a mortgage. If he or she were to seek a loan from the credit union, there is a possibility the application would be denied. How is a woman in that situation supposed to plan child care? How is she to determine whether she can afford child care? As everybody knows, most child care systems are based on set fees. How is a person working uncertain hours supposed to cope with that reality? It is these workers that Deputies would be letting down in not supporting the legislation.

The Bill offers a solution. It will provide workers with the right, after six months of continuous employment, to request an increase in the weekly band of hours. Furthermore, it includes an obligation on the employer to inform all employees of the overall availability of working hours by displaying this information in a prominent place in the employment. This is an important point because often when a dispute arises, an employer will withhold information on available hours to those active in their trade union. The passage of the Bill, including the obligation on an employer to display information on available hours, will combat this practice.

I reiterate that much of the information provided by the Minister and Fianna Fáil Deputies on the Bill is incorrect. There are Members who have worked in this area and know what they are talking about. I urge Deputies not to look at this from a political point of view and to do the right thing by workers. There is no point in them having their photograph taken on the picket line for social media purposes if they are not going to put their words into action. We need to support low paid workers. Supporting people in employment, women in particular, is the only way to get the economy back on track. We hear much talk about women's rights and the need to encourage more women to enter public life or other positions. We will not do this if we continue to treat them in a manner which makes it nearly impossible for them to access employment or proper child care facilities. I again urge the Minister and Deputies to support the Bill.

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